Malalai Joya, 27, took the second most ballots in western Farah province after the September 18 parliamentary elections, the Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB) said Thursday, releasing the first provisional figures.

Joya rose to prominence two years ago when she dared to criticise mujahedin leaders and powerful warlords at a grand council meeting, called a Loya Jirga, called to debate a new constitution.

Her outburst was unusual in the conservative country in which women were removed from public life under the hardline Islamic Taliban regime that was ousted in late 2001.

JEMB head Peter Erben released the results for Farah and Nimroz provinces, which are pending a five-day complaints period, and said the ballot count for the country's other 32 provinces had been completed.

About 60 percent of the results had also been audited while investigations were continuing into ballot boxes put in quarantine because of suspected fraud, including ballot stuffing, he said.