KABUL, Oct 8: Afghanistan's nation wide polls on Saturday will be its first direct presidential election since independence from Britain in 1919.

Then, new ruler Amanullah had grand ideas of modernizing the country, managing to abolish slavery and introduce civil rights for women before being forced out in 1929 following strong opposition from religious leaders.

General Nadir Shah declared himself king but lasted just four years before being assassinated in Nov 1933 and his son Mohammad Zahir Shah, aged just 16, came to power.

Various family members assumed the role of regent until 1946 for the young king, who was educated mainly in France. Prime ministers were named rather than elected. In September 1953, Shah's cousin Mohammad Daoud Khan was appointed as prime minister by the royal family council. His rule was Soviet-style and repressive.

Mohammad Yussuf was named prime minister in 1963, ushering in the so-called "constitutional" period when a regime approaching democracy was put in place. A constitution adopted in 1964 authorised political parties and a free press, although censorship continued.

The king was to continue to choose the prime minister but his choice would have to be ratified by a parliament. In 1965, parliamentary elections were organised, with women having the right to vote. Anti-royalists won seats in the lower chamber.

The second parliamentary polls took place in 1969. Four years later, in July 1973, Mohammad Daoud took advantage of a trip abroad by the king to overthrow the monarchy and proclaim a republic, with himself as its president.

As the years went by, Daoud grew closer to Iran and the West. No more elections were held until he was ousted in a Soviet-backed coup in April 1978. The president and his family were killed.

A triumvirate close to the Soviet Union, which bordered Afghanistan, took over in Daoud's place. But the new regime resorted to cruel measures to put down a rebellion until the Soviet invasion of 1979.

Since that date, not one direct presidential or parliamentary election has taken place in Afghanistan. The mujahideen, who took over Kabul in 1992, held Islamic jihad council elections.

The council elected Burhannudin Rabbani as president the same year but as power struggles persisted, the hard line Taliban came to power in 1996. The current president, Hamid Karzai, was installed after the United States led an operation to topple the Taliban in the wake of the Sept 11, 2001, attacks.

He was re-elected by a loya jirga, or tribal council, made up of elders and leaders from around the country, in June 2002 to lead the country until its first direct elections in 2004. -AFP