Vote counting begins in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Pakistan's elections Monday appear to have been marked by low voter turnout because of concerns about poll-related violence.

The election results may not be known until Wednesday but Pakistani media reports also indicated light support for Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's party, The Washington Post reported.

The election also was marred by incidents of sporadic violence, which combined with pre-election bomb attacks, may have resulted in low turnout among the 81 million people who were eligible to vote in the first elections in five years. Other reports suggested the turnout might have been lower than about 42 percent reported in the previous election.

Timehe Post report said the election, originally set for Jan. 8 but put off because of the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, was carried out Monday amid concerns of violence and vote rigging.

In Rawalpindi, where Bhutto was killed, a supporter of her party told the newspaper he was unable to vote "because they did not open the polls and the election officials are saying that they do not have the list with my name on it."

Other complaints included poorly trained election workers, closed polling stations and lost ballots, the report said.

Musharraf said whoever wins would form the government and he is committed to political reconciliation, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan reported. He said he would work with any party that forms a government.

The elections are for the 342-seat lower house of the National Assembly of which 70 seats are reserved for women and non-Muslims. Monday's elections were also for the four provincial assemblies.