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US envoy 'in angry Karzai talks' | US envoy 'in angry Karzai talks' |
(about 1 hour later) | |
The US special envoy to Afghanistan has held an "explosive" meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai over the country's election, the BBC has learnt. | |
Richard Holbrooke raised concerns about ballot-stuffing and fraud, by a number of candidates' teams, sources say. | |
The US envoy also said a second-round run-off could make the election process more credible, the sources said. | |
Concerns have already been raised about Afghanistan's election, although final results are not due until September. | |
A number of senior sources have confirmed the details of a meeting between Mr Holbrooke and Mr Karzai held on 21 August, one day after the election. | |
The meeting was described as "explosive" and "a dramatic bust-up". | |
Mr Holbrooke is said to have twice raised the idea of holding a second round run-off because of concerns about the voting process. | |
Other leading candidates: Ramazan Bashardost 108,000 (10.8%)Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai 28,000 (2.8%) Winning candidate needs more than 50% of votes to avoid a run-off class="" href="/2/hi/south_asia/8222671.stm">The trials of election monitoring | |
He is believed to have complained about the use of fraud and ballot stuffing by some members of the president's campaign team, as well as other candidates. | |
Mr Karzai reacted very angrily and that the meeting ended shortly afterwards, the sources said. | |
However, a spokeswoman for the US embassy in Kabul denied there had been any shouting or that Mr Holbrooke had stormed out. | |
She refused to discuss the details of the meeting. | |
A spokesman for the presidential palace denied the account of the conversation. | |
There have been many doubts raised about the Afghan presidential election, about the turnout and irregularities. | |
But this is the first time that a leading Western official has apparently expressed it quite so openly. | But this is the first time that a leading Western official has apparently expressed it quite so openly. |
It will raise more questions about the credibility of the whole process and could well make the plan to establish a meaningful government in a stable country all the harder to achieve. | It will raise more questions about the credibility of the whole process and could well make the plan to establish a meaningful government in a stable country all the harder to achieve. |