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NDI

The National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.

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The streets of Kabul were eerily quiet on Thursday, as polls for Afghanistan's second presidential election since the fall of the Taliban opened to little fanfare and even smaller crowds. Coming up with a clear national picture is difficult, says Ken Wollack, president of NDI, which has sent a large contingent of election observers to Afghanistan.

Outside of Kabul, the situation was indeed worse, with rocket attacks throughout the country scaring voters away from the polls.

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