Afghanistan: Karzai vote at 48.3 percent

KABUL, Afghanistan, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- An investigation of electoral fraud has reduced Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai's vote total to 48.3 percent, election observers said Monday.

Election observers from Democracy International said the decision by the U.N.-backed Election Complaints Commission to ignore results from 210 entire polling stations, and thousands more found to be rigged, brought Karzai's total in the Aug. 20 election down from 55 percent to 48.3 percent, The Daily Telegraph reported.

"This reduces his vote share below the 50 percent threshold necessary for a first-round victory, and should necessitate a run-off election between Hamid Karzai, and Abdullah Abdullah," a Democracy International statement said.

The ECC said it had found "clear and convincing evidence" of fraud at thousands of polling stations.

The Telegraph said the Afghanistan Independent Election Committee -- which is appointed by Karzai and must certify the results -- has signaled it will not accept the ECC's findings, while the president himself was said to be furious.

Mohammad Moin Marastyal, a senior member of the president's team, told the newspaper the ECC procedure was "not correct. Effort has been made to lower Karzai's vote to below 50 (percent). Now we are in a deadlock."

Under Afghan law the international ECC has the authority to declare fraud took place, but the job of calling a runoff rests with the Afghan Independent Election Commission, CNN said.

A commission spokesman said recently the commission would require a few days to review the ECC findings before making any announcement about a runoff.