Afghan run-off election canceled, Karzai wins
- Source: Global Times
- [20:00 November 02 2009]
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The Afghan Independent Election Commission Monday announced the presidential run-off election has been canceled with sitting President Hamid Karzai winning the election.
The decision came after Karzai's top challenger Abdullah Abdullah Sunday withdrew from the run-off set on Nov. 7.
Presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah said that he was withdrawing from an election runoff because the demands he made for a fair vote had not been met by the government and election officials, according to Reuters.
"I will not take part in the election. ... I have not come to this decision easily," Abdullah told supporters in Kabul, adding that he was not telling anyone to boycott the November 7 polling.
Abdullah put forward some conditions one week ago to ensure the credibility of the run-off, including replacing top election official and suspending three ministers. However, Abdullah's conditions were refused by Karzai.
The first-round election was held on Aug. 20, with preliminary results by Afghan election authority showing Karzai won 54.6 percent. However, a UN investigation on fraud pushed Karzai's total to below the 50 percent, which is needed to avoid a run-off.
A spokesman for President Hamid Karzai said that the president regrets Abdullah's withdrawal but the election should still take place.
"We believe that the election has to go on; the process must complete itself," Karzai's chief campaign spokesman, Waheed Omar, told Al-Jazeera television. "The people of Afghanistan have to be given the right to vote."
Agencies
