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Call to sack Afghan election head Call to sack Afghan election head
(about 1 hour later)
Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah has demanded the chief of the country's election commission be sacked ahead of a run-off poll next month.Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah has demanded the chief of the country's election commission be sacked ahead of a run-off poll next month.
In a news conference Mr Abdullah said that Azizullah Lodin, the chairman of the Independent Election Commission (IEC), has "no credibility". In a news conference Mr Abdullah said that Azizullah Lodin, the chairman of the Independent Election Commission (IEC), had "no credibility".
A run-off poll is due to be held on 7 November after a UN-backed panel discarded votes over widespread fraud.A run-off poll is due to be held on 7 November after a UN-backed panel discarded votes over widespread fraud.
The IEC commissioners were appointed by incumbent president Hamid Karzai. The IEC commissioners were appointed by incumbent President Hamid Karzai.
There has been no statement from the IEC or Mr Lodin as yet.
Mr Abdullah and Hamid Karzai earlier ruled out a power-sharing deal.Mr Abdullah and Hamid Karzai earlier ruled out a power-sharing deal.
Both candidates told American media they were committed to another poll. Both candidates told US media they were committed to another poll. Speaking to CNN, Mr Karzai - who bowed to international pressure to hold a run-off - said a deal would be "an insult to democracy".
Speaking to CNN Mr Karzai, who bowed to international pressure to hold a run-off, said a deal would be "an insult to democracy". List of conditions
Mr Abdullah made the demand during a news conference when he outlined a list of conditions for a fair second round.
KARZAI V ABDULLAH Hamid Karzai: First popularly elected president of AfghanistanOpposed Soviet occupation in 1980sCritics say he has done little to rein in corruption Abdullah Abdullah: Tajik-Pashtun, doctor by professionSenior Northern Alliance leader during Taliban ruleRemoved from Karzai's cabinet in 2006 Profile: Hamid Karzai Profile: Abdullah Abdullah
"He has left no credibility for the institution," Mr Abdullah was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying.
"What's the solution? Another commissioner from the same commission should take his position," he said.
After the 20 August poll, initial results suggested that Mr Karzai had received 55% of the vote, and former foreign minister Mr Abdullah 28%.
But the UN-backed Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) deducted hundreds of thousands of votes from the main candidates.
Its investigation focused on 600 of the most serious complaints, and a sample audit of suspect votes at 3,377 polling stations. At 210 polling stations all the ballots were invalidated.
This meant Mr Karzai's total was reduced to below the 50% plus one vote threshold for outright victory, indicating a second round was needed.
The panel also recommended replacing thousands of officials and scrapping polling stations where the fraud was worst.
Officials involved in flawed polling are being removed ahead of the run-off, the UN has said.
But there are still concerns about the ability of the run-off to avoid mistakes made in the first round, correspondents say.
Campaigning officially began over the weekend but the Taliban threatened to launch a fresh wave of violence and urged people not to vote in what they called an "American process".