Karzai Vote 'Below 50 Percent'
Hamid
Karzai, Afghanistan's president, is facing a runoff vote after a
UN-backed election watchdog recommended that thousands of ballots
apparently cast in his favour be scrapped, diplomatic sources have told
Al Jazeera.
The Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) published the findings of
its long-awaited investigation into poll fraud in Afganistan's
elections on Monday.
The
report, published on the ECC's website, called for ballots cast at 210
polling stations during the country's August 20 polls to be discarded.
Sources told Al Jazeera that the move had pushed Karzai's share of
the vote to below 50 per cent, the number needed to avoid a runoff with
Abdullah Abdullah, his main rival.
"Diplomatic
sources tell me that the figures clearly show Hamid Karzai is well
below the crucial 50 per cent margin," James Bays, Al Jazeera's
correspondent in Kabul, reported.
"I understand that key ambassadors are now meeting with the UN to
discuss what is the next step, what is the way forward now that Hamid
Karzai hasn't reached the 50 per cent following this procedure by the
Electoral Complaints Commission."
But Waheed Omar, a spokesman for Karzai's campaign, dismissed claims
that the complaints commission report meant a runoff would be necessary.
"I don't think we can make any judgement based on the figures announced today," he was quoted by the Associated Press as saying.
Preliminary results last month had showed Karzai winning the
election with more than 54 per cent of the vote, but allegations of
massive fraud prompted the complaints commission's investigation.
The Independent Election Commission, the Afghan electoral body which
organised the vote, is still to announce the official results, but
the ECC's findings are seen as key to the outcome.
The complaints commission said in a statement accompanying its
findings that the Afghan election authorities were now responsible for
adjusting candidates' vote totals in accordance with the ECC's decision
before it may certify the final result".
"This does bring the country to another period of crisis and confusion about what should happen next," Bays said.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Hamid
Karzai, Afghanistan's president, is facing a runoff vote after a
UN-backed election watchdog recommended that thousands of ballots
apparently cast in his favour be scrapped, diplomatic sources have told
Al Jazeera.
The Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) published the findings of
its long-awaited investigation into poll fraud in Afganistan's
elections on Monday.
The
report, published on the ECC's website, called for ballots cast at 210
polling stations during the country's August 20 polls to be discarded.
Sources told Al Jazeera that the move had pushed Karzai's share of
the vote to below 50 per cent, the number needed to avoid a runoff with
Abdullah Abdullah, his main rival.
"Diplomatic
sources tell me that the figures clearly show Hamid Karzai is well
below the crucial 50 per cent margin," James Bays, Al Jazeera's
correspondent in Kabul, reported.
"I understand that key ambassadors are now meeting with the UN to
discuss what is the next step, what is the way forward now that Hamid
Karzai hasn't reached the 50 per cent following this procedure by the
Electoral Complaints Commission."
But Waheed Omar, a spokesman for Karzai's campaign, dismissed claims
that the complaints commission report meant a runoff would be necessary.
"I don't think we can make any judgement based on the figures announced today," he was quoted by the Associated Press as saying.
Preliminary results last month had showed Karzai winning the
election with more than 54 per cent of the vote, but allegations of
massive fraud prompted the complaints commission's investigation.
The Independent Election Commission, the Afghan electoral body which
organised the vote, is still to announce the official results, but
the ECC's findings are seen as key to the outcome.
The complaints commission said in a statement accompanying its
findings that the Afghan election authorities were now responsible for
adjusting candidates' vote totals in accordance with the ECC's decision
before it may certify the final result".
"This does bring the country to another period of crisis and confusion about what should happen next," Bays said.
Hamid
Karzai, Afghanistan's president, is facing a runoff vote after a
UN-backed election watchdog recommended that thousands of ballots
apparently cast in his favour be scrapped, diplomatic sources have told
Al Jazeera.
The Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) published the findings of
its long-awaited investigation into poll fraud in Afganistan's
elections on Monday.
The
report, published on the ECC's website, called for ballots cast at 210
polling stations during the country's August 20 polls to be discarded.
Sources told Al Jazeera that the move had pushed Karzai's share of
the vote to below 50 per cent, the number needed to avoid a runoff with
Abdullah Abdullah, his main rival.
"Diplomatic
sources tell me that the figures clearly show Hamid Karzai is well
below the crucial 50 per cent margin," James Bays, Al Jazeera's
correspondent in Kabul, reported.
"I understand that key ambassadors are now meeting with the UN to
discuss what is the next step, what is the way forward now that Hamid
Karzai hasn't reached the 50 per cent following this procedure by the
Electoral Complaints Commission."
But Waheed Omar, a spokesman for Karzai's campaign, dismissed claims
that the complaints commission report meant a runoff would be necessary.
"I don't think we can make any judgement based on the figures announced today," he was quoted by the Associated Press as saying.
Preliminary results last month had showed Karzai winning the
election with more than 54 per cent of the vote, but allegations of
massive fraud prompted the complaints commission's investigation.
The Independent Election Commission, the Afghan electoral body which
organised the vote, is still to announce the official results, but
the ECC's findings are seen as key to the outcome.
The complaints commission said in a statement accompanying its
findings that the Afghan election authorities were now responsible for
adjusting candidates' vote totals in accordance with the ECC's decision
before it may certify the final result".
"This does bring the country to another period of crisis and confusion about what should happen next," Bays said.