Daily News Online
 

Wednesday, 2 September 2009

News Bar »

News: No peace without development ...        Political: ‘SPC election would be a record victory’ ...       Business: Thirteen recommendations to enhance trade facilitation ...        Sports: Lankans to put T20 pressure on Kiwis ...

Home

 | SHARE MARKET  | EXCHANGE RATE  | TRADING  | SUPPLEMENTS  | PICTURE GALLERY  | ARCHIVES | 

dailynews
 ONLINE


OTHER PUBLICATIONS


OTHER LINKS

Marriage Proposals
Classified
Government Gazette

Karzai’s vote lead narrows slightly

AFGHNISTAN: President Hamid Karzai’s lead over his main election rival narrowed slightly on Monday as US envoy Richard Holbrooke said Western troops had inflicted “vast damage” on the Taliban.

Holbrooke’s comments struck a rare optimistic note at the same time as the US and NATO commander in Afghanistan submitted a review of the eight-year war, calling for a revised strategy to reverse the “serious” situation.

Afghan officials have announced results from nearly half the polling stations used in the country’s second direct presidential vote, which has been tainted by an escalating Taliban insurgency and abysmal turnout.

Out of 2.87 million valid votes released by the Independent Election Commission (IEC), which has been criticised for favouring the incumbent, Karzai won 1.3 million and former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah 954,256.

The IEC website put Karzai on 45.8 percent so far and Abdullah on 33.2 percent, narrowly lowering Karzai’s previous percentage of 46.2 and boosting Abdullah’s from 31.4. Karzai needs 50 percent plus one vote to avoid a second round.

The gradual release of results is due to lead to the announcement of preliminary results between September 3 and September 7, and the final tally on September 17.

But complaints of fraud have flooded in daily to Afghanistan’s Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC), which is scrambling to investigate more than 2,500 allegations surrounding the August 20 elections.

The complaints threaten to compromise the legitimacy of the results and any victory for Karzai, whose seven-year rule has been marred by corruption, rising insecurity and cooling ties with his Western allies.

Kabul, Tuesday, AFP

 

EMAIL |   PRINTABLE VIEW | FEEDBACK

www.lanka.info
www.army.lk
www.news.lk
www.defence.lk
Donate Now | defence.lk
www.apiwenuwenapi.co.uk
LANKAPUVATH - National News Agency of Sri Lanka
www.peaceinsrilanka.org

| News | Editorial | Business | Features | Political | Security | Sport | World | Letters | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House Copyright © 2009 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.

Comments and suggestions to : Web Editor