An initial count of the Afghan presidential votes shows incumbent president Hamid Karzai has a slight lead.
With 10% of the votes counted Karzai has marginally more votes than rival Dr Abdulllah Abdullah. The final result will not be known until mid-September, when all votes have been counted.
Currently Mr Karzai has 212,927 votes and Dr Abdullah 202, 889 but a candidate needs more than 50% of the vote to avoid a second round run-off.
Afghanistan’s electoral commission says 544,444 valid votes have been counted with Karzai taking 40.6% and Abdullah on 38.7%.
Moments after the prelimary result was announced an explosion hit the Southern city of Kandahar killing 30 people and injuring many more. Reports say that several buildings collapsed in the blast in the city centre.
Earlier in the day, a bomb killed four US soldiers, making 2009 the deadliest year for foreign troops since the Taliban were overthrown.
“ Once again they've killed children, women, innocent Afghans. They are not human. They are animals.
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The electoral commission said Ramazan Bashardost is currently third with 53,470 and Ashaf Ghani Ahmadzai fourth with 15,143.
Based on the figures released a second round run-off would most likely be between Karzai and Abdullah. However, only 2% of votes in Kandahar have been counted and none in Helmand, provinces where Karzai is expected to do well, so a run-off may not be needed.
Further counting will take place and the electoral commission says they will release more results in coming weeks.
The final result will not be released until the Electoral Complaints Commission has investigated the 800 complaints of electoral irregularities and fraud. 54 of these 800 are considered to be serious allegations and among the complainants is Dr Abdullah, who claims rigging in favour of Karzai.
Mirwais Yasini, another prominent presidential candidate, has also made claims 800 votes for him were discarded.
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