Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- An independent watchdog group says it has "serious concerns about the quality" of the Afghan parliamentary elections last weekend, citing "electoral violations and irregularities" and security problems that forced polling centers to close.
A preliminary report by the Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan, Tuesday praised voter participation and security arrangements.
"However, regrettably, a large segment of the electorate was disenfranchised by insecurity and logistical failures," said the group, also known as FEFA.
FEFA said it observed voting and counting with nearly 7,000 observers at about 60 percent of polling stations in 3,538 polling centers on Saturday.
The report said millions of Afghans cast ballots bravely "against the backdrop of a violent campaign season," and the observers reported 276 security incidents at and near polling places.
CNN
