Ottawans with friends and family in Afghanistan have been watching Thursday's Afghan presidential and provincial council elections with excitement and some anxiety.

As of 9 a.m. ET Thursday, polls had closed in Afghanistan and ballot counting had begun, with preliminary results expected Saturday.

Mirwas Nahzat, who was born in Kabul, has been following the election closely from his small apartment on Lees Avenue.

He said this is a period of "unprecedented excitement" for Afghanistan, especially for that country's young people, who make up a majority of the population.

"This is really the beginning of democracy and change in Afghanistan, but one that will take a long time before it stands on its own feet," said Nazhat, president of the Centre for Afghanistan Progress, a group that monitors Canada's role in Afghanistan. Nazhat has been checking the internet constantly for updates from friends in Afghanistan and has also been keeping an eye on numerous online news sources there, including the independent Afghan TV station Tolo.

"This is the first time I'm able to connect directly with people minute by minute and find out exactly what's happening," he said.

Taliban attacks raise fears

At the Afghan Bakers and Halal Pizza on St. Laurent Boulevard, owner Shafullah Bakhshzad was worried Wednesday about friends and relatives in Afghanistan, fearing suicide attacks from the Taliban.

In fact, insurgents did make good on their threats to disrupt the polls with reported rocket attacks, a gunfight with police, and bombs scattered around the country, killing and wounding some police and civilians. An Afghan election official in Kabul reported that voter turnout was expected to be 40 per cent lower than in the 2004 presidential election.

But Nazhat said he was confident many Afghans would risk everything to vote.

"I can tell you that every Afghan family is looking forward to cast their votes," he said. "They will cast their votes with their blood, with their sweat, and, if it has to be, with lives. They will do that because it means so much for the future of the country."