The vote follows months of anti-government protests, questionable political reforms, and rising COVID-19 cases.

Polls have opened in Bulgaria's parliamentary elections

Armenia will hold early parliamentary elections in December after reformist leader Nikol Pashinyan's political manoeuvring led lawmakers on Thursday to dissolve the assembly.

The dissolution of parliament is a major win for acting prime minister Pashinyan whose efforts to reform the ex-Soviet country of some 3 million have been frustrated for months by the ruling party.

Pashinyan, who came to power in May after a popular revolt against the country's old guard, said the chamber was dissolved "in accordance with law" after MPs failed to elect a new prime minister for the second time over the past week.

"Today parliament is being disbanded for the first time and for the first time we will have early elections," Pashinyan said ahead of Thursday's vote. "We will ensure absolutely fair and legitimate elections and the rest is in people's hands."

An agreement has been reached with figurehead President Armen Sarkisian to hold the election on December 9, Pashinyan said.

The 43-year-old former journalist rose to power in May after spearheading weeks of peaceful anti-government rallies that ousted veteran leader Serzh Sarkisian.

Analysts said the victory of the popular politician's party in the December ballot was almost assured as Pashinyan pushes ahead with his campaign to reshape the South Causasus nation's political landscape.

"The snap polls' outcome is pretty predictable -- &nbsp;in December Pashinyan will be in control of parliament," analyst Vigen Hakobyan told AFP.

Since taking office, the hero of the street protests has won applause for launching an all-out crusade against endemic corruption and driving many members of the old elite from power.

But the new government quickly found itself at loggerheads with ex-president Sarkisian's Republican Party which had a majority in parliament and stood in the way of Pashinyan's reform drive.

New parliamentary elections were not scheduled until 2022 and last month Pashinyan stepped down as prime minister to pave the way for snap polls.

He twice put forward his candidacy for re-election after agreeing with all the parliamentary factions that they would vote him down to trigger early polls.

'Sky-high ratings'

During his first five months in office he pursued a balanced foreign policy. He reassured Russian President Vladimir Putin that Armenia would remain Moscow's loyal ally but at the same time he sought to charm Western leaders.&nbsp;

During an international summit in the capital Yerevan in October he danced traditional Armenian dances with French President Emmanuel Macron and wore matching socks with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.&nbsp;

The politician's popularity at home has only grown over the past few months.&nbsp;

In August, thousands of Armenians shouted Pashinyan's name as he walked through the streets of Yerevan with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Political analyst Stepan Safaryan said Pashinyan wanted to hold early elections while he was at the peak of his popularity.

"Right now the approval ratings of Pashinyan and his party are sky-high but who knows how long this will last," he told AFP.

"That's why he was keen to secure the holding of early polls as soon as possible."

In September, Pashinyan's bloc won a landslide victory in municipal elections, getting more than 80 percent of the vote in the capital, where nearly 40 percent of the country's population lives.

The outgoing parliament will continue working until the new legislature is elected.

The ruling party did not go without resistance.

Last month Sarkisian's party passed a bill making it harder to dissolve the assembly and hold snap elections.&nbsp;

The move triggered new street protests by Pashinyan's supporters.

Pashinyan said at the time the adoption of the bill was nothing short of a "counter-revolution".

Armenia will hold early parliamentary elections in December after reformist leader Nikol Pashinyan's political manoeuvring led lawmakers on Thursday to dissolve the assembly.

Armenia will hold early parliamentary elections in December after reformist leader Nikol Pashinyan's political manoeuvring led lawmakers on Thursday to dissolve the assembly. The dissolution of parliament is a major win for acting prime minister Pashinyan whose efforts to reform the ex-Soviet country of some 3 million have been frustrated for months by the ruling party. Pashinyan, who came to power in May after a popular revolt against the country's old guard, said the chamber was dissolved "in accordance with law" after MPs failed to elect a new prime minister for the second time over the past week. "Today parliament is being disbanded for the first time and for the first time we will have early elections," Pashinyan said ahead of Thursday's vote. "We will ensure absolutely fair and legitimate elections and the rest is in people's hands." An agreement has been reached with figurehead President Armen Sarkisian to hold the election on December 9, Pashinyan said. The 43-year-old former journalist rose to power in May after spearheading weeks of peaceful anti-government rallies that ousted veteran leader Serzh Sarkisian. Analysts said the victory of the popular politician's party in the December ballot was almost assured as Pashinyan pushes ahead with his campaign to reshape the South Causasus nation's political landscape. "The snap polls' outcome is pretty predictable -- in December Pashinyan will be in control of parliament," analyst Vigen Hakobyan told AFP. Since taking office, the hero of the street protests has won applause for launching an all-out crusade against endemic corruption and driving many members of the old elite from power. But the new government quickly found itself at loggerheads with ex-president Sarkisian's Republican Party which had a majority in parliament and stood in the way of Pashinyan's reform drive. New parliamentary elections were not scheduled until 2022 and last month Pashinyan stepped down as prime minister to pave the way for snap polls. He twice put forward his candidacy for re-election after agreeing with all the parliamentary factions that they would vote him down to trigger early polls. 'Sky-high ratings' During his first five months in office he pursued a balanced foreign policy. He reassured Russian President Vladimir Putin that Armenia would remain Moscow's loyal ally but at the same time he sought to charm Western leaders. During an international summit in the capital Yerevan in October he danced traditional Armenian dances with French President Emmanuel Macron and wore matching socks with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The politician's popularity at home has only grown over the past few months. In August, thousands of Armenians shouted Pashinyan's name as he walked through the streets of Yerevan with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Political analyst Stepan Safaryan said Pashinyan wanted to hold early elections while he was at the peak of his popularity. "Right now the approval ratings of Pashinyan and his party are sky-high but who knows how long this will last," he told AFP. "That's why he was keen to secure the holding of early polls as soon as possible." In September, Pashinyan's bloc won a landslide victory in municipal elections, getting more than 80 percent of the vote in the capital, where nearly 40 percent of the country's population lives. The outgoing parliament will continue working until the new legislature is elected. The ruling party did not go without resistance. Last month Sarkisian's party passed a bill making it harder to dissolve the assembly and hold snap elections. The move triggered new street protests by Pashinyan's supporters. Pashinyan said at the time the adoption of the bill was nothing short of a "counter-revolution".

Armenia to hold early parliamentary polls in December

Parliamentary elections are <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistan-braces-for-militant-attacks-as-polling-centres-open-172420">underway in Afghanistan</a> amid high terror and war. However, people braved the threats and gathered in large numbers for a democratic Afghan.&nbsp;

Polling centers opened at 7:00 am (0230 GMT) across the war-torn country, with some 54,000 security forces deployed to protect them.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/why-afghanistan-election-matters-to-india-172402">Also read: Why Afghanistan election matters to India?</a>

At least 10 candidates out of more than 2,500 contesting the lower-house election have been killed so far.

Here are the updates so far:&nbsp;

- Polling stations in Kabul opened Saturday morning and witnessed hundreds of people making their way to the ballots to cast their votes.&nbsp;

- Ballot counting will begin upon the conclusion of voting at 4 pm Kabul time in the presence of election observers, Al Jazeera reported.

- The electoral commission has not set a timeline for announcing official results, but preliminary results are expected within a month.

- Gardez Cit in the Paktia province also saw voters in large number early Saturday morning.

- Security has been tight all across the country. Forces patrolled the streets in Kabul as people made their way to the polling stations.&nbsp;

- Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani also cast his vote as well as Herat's governor and other officials. Ghani took to Twitter to announce the news saying, "I just voted. And I thank the ANDSF, the IEC staff, and the great people of Afghanistan who made it possible to vote despite the risks involved. Today we proved together that we uphold democracy. With casting our ballots without fear we honor the sacrifices of the fallen."

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I just voted. And I thank the ANDSF, the IEC staff, and the great people of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Afghanistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Afghanistan</a> who made it possible to vote despite the risks involved. Today we proved together that we uphold democracy. With casting our ballots without fear we honor the sacrifices of the fallen. <a href="https://t.co/wrUCEa0MCR">pic.twitter.com/wrUCEa0MCR</a>
— Ashraf Ghani (@ashrafghani) <a href="https://twitter.com/ashrafghani/status/1053489777624993793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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- Chief Executive of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Abdullah Abdullah also cast his vote. He then lauded the efforts of the security forces and also condemned the death of Gen. Abdul Raziq and Gen. Momin Hussainkhail.

- Former national security advisor Mohammad Hanif Atmar also voted in today's&nbsp;parliamentary elections. Second Vice President Sarwar Danish also cast his vote in Kabul.&nbsp;

-&nbsp;Not all polling stations open on time.

Parliamentary elections are underway in Afghanistan amid high terror and war. However, people braved the threats and gathered in large numbers for a democratic Afghan.

Parliamentary elections are underway in Afghanistan amid high terror and war. However, people braved the threats and gathered in large numbers for a democratic Afghan. Polling centers opened at 7:00 am (0230 GMT) across the war-torn country, with some 54,000 security forces deployed to protect them. Also read: Why Afghanistan election matters to India? At least 10 candidates out of more than 2,500 contesting the lower-house election have been killed so far. Here are the updates so far: - Polling stations in Kabul opened Saturday morning and witnessed hundreds of people making their way to the ballots to cast their votes. - Ballot counting will begin upon the conclusion of voting at 4 pm Kabul time in the presence of election observers, Al Jazeera reported. - The electoral commission has not set a timeline for announcing official results, but preliminary results are expected within a month. - Gardez Cit in the Paktia province also saw voters in large number early Saturday morning. - Security has been tight all across the country. Forces patrolled the streets in Kabul as people made their way to the polling stations. - Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani also cast his vote as well as Herat's governor and other officials. Ghani took to Twitter to announce the news saying, "I just voted. And I thank the ANDSF, the IEC staff, and the great people of Afghanistan who made it possible to vote despite the risks involved. Today we proved together that we uphold democracy. With casting our ballots without fear we honor the sacrifices of the fallen." I just voted. And I thank the ANDSF, the IEC staff, and the great people of #Afghanistan who made it possible to vote despite the risks involved. Today we proved together that we uphold democracy. With casting our ballots without fear we honor the sacrifices of the fallen. pic.twitter.com/wrUCEa0MCR — Ashraf Ghani (@ashrafghani) October 20, 2018 × - Chief Executive of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Abdullah Abdullah also cast his vote. He then lauded the efforts of the security forces and also condemned the death of Gen. Abdul Raziq and Gen. Momin Hussainkhail. - Former national security advisor Mohammad Hanif Atmar also voted in today's parliamentary elections. Second Vice President Sarwar Danish also cast his vote in Kabul. - Not all polling stations open on time.

Afghanistan elections: Here are the updates so far

Resolute Support Commander General Austin Scott Miller, who escaped uninjured in Thursday's attack at the Kandahar Governor's house, tweeted that he "lost a great friend" while referring to Kandahar police chief General Abdul Raziq, who was killed in the attack.

Gen Scott Miller took to Resolute Support's official Twitter account to state, "Today I lost a great friend Lt. Gen. Raziq. We had served together for many years. Afghanistan lost a patriot, my condolences to the people of Afghanistan. The good he did for Afghanistan and the Afghan people cannot be undone."

Taliban has since claimed responsibility for the attack which also killed the head of the provincial National Directorate of Security (NDS) Gen. Abdul Momin Hassankhail and injured Kandahar's Governor Zalmai Wesa, the commander of Maiwand 404 police zone, a coalition force member and two Americans after a high-profile meeting on Thursday.

Taliban further stated that they had targeted both Raziq and Miller, according to Al Jazeera.

TOLOnews reported that the attack was initiated by at least one of the governor's bodyguards.

The attack occurred when officials were on their way to the helipad after the meeting, which included the Resolute Support Commander. Saturday's parliamentary elections were discussed during the meeting held between the officials.

Colonel Dave Butler, the spokesperson for US Forces-Afghanistan tweeted that the attacker had been killed in the "Afghan-on-Afghan" incident. "This was an Afghan-on-Afghan incident. Three Americans were wounded, have been medically evacuated and are stable. General Miller is uninjured. We are being told the area is secure. The attacker is dead."

He has since updated his statement to claim that one US service member, one US civilian and one non-American coalition contractor were wounded in the incident, while the Resolute Support Commander Gen Scott Miller escaped unscathed.

In the wake of the attack, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended condolences and condemned the terrorist attack.

"Deeply shocked and saddened by the dastardly terrorist attack in Kandahar. India condemns it most strongly and mourns with our Afghan brethren the loss of life, including that of Kandahar's senior leadership. We stand in solidarity with the brave people of Afghanistan in fighting terrorism imposed on them," he tweeted.

The attack comes ahead of the Afghanistan parliamentary elections, slated to be held on Saturday.

Resolute Support Commander General Austin Scott Miller, who escaped uninjured in Thursday's attack at the Kandahar Governor's house, tweeted that he "lost a great friend" while referring to Kandahar police chief General Abdul Raziq, who was killed in the attack.

Resolute Support Commander General Austin Scott Miller, who escaped uninjured in Thursday's attack at the Kandahar Governor's house, tweeted that he "lost a great friend" while referring to Kandahar police chief General Abdul Raziq, who was killed in the attack. Gen Scott Miller took to Resolute Support's official Twitter account to state, "Today I lost a great friend Lt. Gen. Raziq. We had served together for many years. Afghanistan lost a patriot, my condolences to the people of Afghanistan. The good he did for Afghanistan and the Afghan people cannot be undone." Taliban has since claimed responsibility for the attack which also killed the head of the provincial National Directorate of Security (NDS) Gen. Abdul Momin Hassankhail and injured Kandahar's Governor Zalmai Wesa, the commander of Maiwand 404 police zone, a coalition force member and two Americans after a high-profile meeting on Thursday. Taliban further stated that they had targeted both Raziq and Miller, according to Al Jazeera. TOLOnews reported that the attack was initiated by at least one of the governor's bodyguards. The attack occurred when officials were on their way to the helipad after the meeting, which included the Resolute Support Commander. Saturday's parliamentary elections were discussed during the meeting held between the officials. Colonel Dave Butler, the spokesperson for US Forces-Afghanistan tweeted that the attacker had been killed in the "Afghan-on-Afghan" incident. "This was an Afghan-on-Afghan incident. Three Americans were wounded, have been medically evacuated and are stable. General Miller is uninjured. We are being told the area is secure. The attacker is dead." He has since updated his statement to claim that one US service member, one US civilian and one non-American coalition contractor were wounded in the incident, while the Resolute Support Commander Gen Scott Miller escaped unscathed. In the wake of the attack, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended condolences and condemned the terrorist attack. "Deeply shocked and saddened by the dastardly terrorist attack in Kandahar. India condemns it most strongly and mourns with our Afghan brethren the loss of life, including that of Kandahar's senior leadership. We stand in solidarity with the brave people of Afghanistan in fighting terrorism imposed on them," he tweeted. The attack comes ahead of the Afghanistan parliamentary elections, slated to be held on Saturday.

US general who escaped unhurt condemns loss of Afghan general; Taliban claims responsibility of attack

The parliamentary <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/the-importance-of-afghan-elections-possible-withdrawal-of-foreign-troops-172166">elections in Afghanistan</a> will be held on October 20th and this year would be unique because a majority of the candidates are less than 40-years-old.&nbsp;

Most of these young candidates - nearly 60 per cent - are entrepreneurs, journalists, teachers or former government employees.&nbsp;

As polling is set to take place under the shadow of gun and terror, the Taliban has asked the candidates and voters to boycott the elections but still, over 2,000 candidates, including over 400 women, have braved the violence for a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/understanding-the-afghanistan-parliamentary-elections-171961">democratic Afghanistan</a>.&nbsp;

Here are some of the&nbsp;candidates and their stories:&nbsp;

Twenty-six-year-old Javid Faisal was until recently a deputy spokesperson for Abdullah Abdullah, chief executive of Afghanistan.&nbsp;

Faisal is running for parliament from Kandahar which is the second largest city of Afghanistan but Taliban remains active in the province. It is feared that voting may be disrupted in Kandahar with the Taliban striking in the city with a deadly attack which&nbsp;killed the Abdul Razeq on Thursday.&nbsp;

Faisal's campaign centres around issues such as education, employment and basic amenities such as water.&nbsp;

Bilal Sarwary is another candidate from Kunar in north-eastern Afghanistan who worked as a journalist for BBC and other media organisations.&nbsp;

Next is 38-year-old Narinder Singh, a Sikh-Afghan. Singh is the only Sikh candidate in the election. He decided to contest the election after his father - Avtar Singh Khalsa - was killed in a suicide attack carried out by the Islamic State terror group in the eastern city of Jalalabad.&nbsp;

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/islamic-state-claims-responsibility-for-attack-on-sikhs-hindus-in-jalalabad-148598">attack also killed</a> 19 other Sikh- Afghans. At the time, Khalsa was running for the Afghan parliament.&nbsp;

Now, Khalsa's son is contesting in the only seat reserved for Sikh and Hindu candidates. Narinder Singh laments that the Sikh community continues to live in fear and without adequate security in spite of the deadly attack.&nbsp;

Zaika Wardak, is an independent candidate contesting from Kabul. Zaika's father - General Abdul Ali Wardak - was killed during the communist take-over in 1978.&nbsp;

Her brother, a former army general Zalmay Wardak, who was a candidate in the election, was killed in August this year. She also lost her husband in a car accident in 2011.&nbsp;

She is an engineer by training and heads an association for female engineers in the Afghan capital.&nbsp;

The parliamentary election is widely seen as a dry run or a semi-final for the 2019 presidential elections in Afghanistan.&nbsp;

The parliamentary elections in Afghanistan will be held on October 20th and this year would be unique because a majority of the candidates are less than 40-years-old.

The parliamentary elections in Afghanistan will be held on October 20th and this year would be unique because a majority of the candidates are less than 40-years-old. Most of these young candidates - nearly 60 per cent - are entrepreneurs, journalists, teachers or former government employees. As polling is set to take place under the shadow of gun and terror, the Taliban has asked the candidates and voters to boycott the elections but still, over 2,000 candidates, including over 400 women, have braved the violence for a democratic Afghanistan. Here are some of the candidates and their stories: Twenty-six-year-old Javid Faisal was until recently a deputy spokesperson for Abdullah Abdullah, chief executive of Afghanistan. Faisal is running for parliament from Kandahar which is the second largest city of Afghanistan but Taliban remains active in the province. It is feared that voting may be disrupted in Kandahar with the Taliban striking in the city with a deadly attack which killed the Abdul Razeq on Thursday. Faisal's campaign centres around issues such as education, employment and basic amenities such as water. Bilal Sarwary is another candidate from Kunar in north-eastern Afghanistan who worked as a journalist for BBC and other media organisations. Next is 38-year-old Narinder Singh, a Sikh-Afghan. Singh is the only Sikh candidate in the election. He decided to contest the election after his father - Avtar Singh Khalsa - was killed in a suicide attack carried out by the Islamic State terror group in the eastern city of Jalalabad. The attack also killed 19 other Sikh- Afghans. At the time, Khalsa was running for the Afghan parliament. Now, Khalsa's son is contesting in the only seat reserved for Sikh and Hindu candidates. Narinder Singh laments that the Sikh community continues to live in fear and without adequate security in spite of the deadly attack. Zaika Wardak, is an independent candidate contesting from Kabul. Zaika's father - General Abdul Ali Wardak - was killed during the communist take-over in 1978. Her brother, a former army general Zalmay Wardak, who was a candidate in the election, was killed in August this year. She also lost her husband in a car accident in 2011. She is an engineer by training and heads an association for female engineers in the Afghan capital. The parliamentary election is widely seen as a dry run or a semi-final for the 2019 presidential elections in Afghanistan.

Young candidates in Afghan ballot battleground amid turmoil

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