Report: Abdullah prepared for runoff

KABUL, Afghanistan, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- The man who placed second behind Afghan President Hamid Karzai in the presidential election said he was prepared for a runoff as well as other options.

"While I am prepared to go for a runoff, at the same time the door is open," Abdullah Abdullah, a former foreign minister and the main challenger to Karzai, told CNN.

Karzai Tuesday agreed to the Afghan Independent Election Commission's call for a Nov. 7 runoff election after determining neither Karzai nor Abdullah secured more than 50 percent of the vote in the Aug. 20 elections. The president had dismissed criticisms by allies and international organizations that widespread fraud led to his claimed runoff-proof victory.

Abdullah did not explain what he meant by his "the door is open" comment.

"I think, before getting too specific ... I need to get a mandate from my supporters," Abdullah told CNN, adding he wants "to bring changes to the country," not obtain a Cabinet position under a shared-government scenario.