WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 (UPI) -- Fraud concerns raised by Afghan election officials are serious, but patience must be exercised while the vetting process plays out, said U.S. officials.
Afghan election monitors reported Tuesday that incumbent President Hamid Karzai was on his way to victory with a clear majority of the 91.6 percent of the votes tallied.
However, the Afghan Electoral Complaints Commission, the government watchdog, ordered a partial recount for the Aug. 20 presidential contest, pointing to "clear and convincing" evidence of fraud.
Ian Kelly, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, described the allegations as serious, saying the EEC should examine the issue thoroughly.
"This announcement by the ECC, I think, raised some very concerning issues," he said. "The ECC's recommendations have to be followed through on -- there has to be a complete and rigorous vetting of all of these complaints."
Despite the concerns, Kelly said the message from Washington was "consistent," adding time was needed to make sure the results of the election were credible and a reflection of the will of the Afghan people before making any proclamations.
"We're calling on all the different actors out there, the political institutions, to show patience," he stressed. "And we are not going to pronounce our analysis of the election until the whole process has played out."
