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| Karzai declared elected president | Karzai declared elected president |
| (9 minutes later) | |
| Hamid Karzai has been declared president of Afghanistan, after election officials scrapped a planned second round of voting. | Hamid Karzai has been declared president of Afghanistan, after election officials scrapped a planned second round of voting. |
| The announcement comes a day after Mr Karzai's sole challenger, Abdullah Abdullah, pulled out of the race. | The announcement comes a day after Mr Karzai's sole challenger, Abdullah Abdullah, pulled out of the race. |
| Dr Abdullah, who had demanded the removal of key poll officials, said the vote would not have been fair. The first round had been marred by fraud. | Dr Abdullah, who had demanded the removal of key poll officials, said the vote would not have been fair. The first round had been marred by fraud. |
| Key Nato allies of Afghanistan have congratulated Mr Karzai. | Key Nato allies of Afghanistan have congratulated Mr Karzai. |
| On Monday a spokesman for the Independent Election Commission (IEC), Azizullah Lodin, declared that President Karzai, "the only candidate for the second round", had been "elected president of Afghanistan". | On Monday a spokesman for the Independent Election Commission (IEC), Azizullah Lodin, declared that President Karzai, "the only candidate for the second round", had been "elected president of Afghanistan". |
| ANALYSIS Andrew North, BBC News, Kabul | ANALYSIS Andrew North, BBC News, Kabul |
| The announcement that the run-off vote was being cancelled had been widely expected. All reports suggested it was simply a question of finding the legal means to bring the process to an end. | The announcement that the run-off vote was being cancelled had been widely expected. All reports suggested it was simply a question of finding the legal means to bring the process to an end. |
| The point of holding a second round was to try to restore some legitimacy to the process after there was so much fraud - almost a third of votes for President Karzai were invalidated because of massive ballot stuffing. | The point of holding a second round was to try to restore some legitimacy to the process after there was so much fraud - almost a third of votes for President Karzai were invalidated because of massive ballot stuffing. |
| Now the second round has been cancelled, largely because of international pressure. It is a very unsatisfactory end, not the end anyone here wished for. At the moment it is being seen as the best of a lot of bad options. | Now the second round has been cancelled, largely because of international pressure. It is a very unsatisfactory end, not the end anyone here wished for. At the moment it is being seen as the best of a lot of bad options. |
| But some questions are bound to remain over the legitimacy of the whole process. | But some questions are bound to remain over the legitimacy of the whole process. |
| He said the second round on 7 November was being scrapped to save money, for security reasons and to prevent further setbacks that could damage Afghanistan politically and economically. | He said the second round on 7 November was being scrapped to save money, for security reasons and to prevent further setbacks that could damage Afghanistan politically and economically. |
| The Taliban, which carried out attacks across the country during the first round, had vowed to disrupt the polls again next Saturday. | The Taliban, which carried out attacks across the country during the first round, had vowed to disrupt the polls again next Saturday. |
| President Karzai - who was first elected Afghan president in 2004 - had been the favourite to win another five-year term in the run-off. | President Karzai - who was first elected Afghan president in 2004 - had been the favourite to win another five-year term in the run-off. |
| One of the reasons for holding a deciding vote had been to try to restore some legitimacy to the process, after the discredited first round on 20 August. | One of the reasons for holding a deciding vote had been to try to restore some legitimacy to the process, after the discredited first round on 20 August. |
| A number of international figures, including US Senator John Kerry, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, had been involved in persuading Mr Karzai to accept a run-off. | A number of international figures, including US Senator John Kerry, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, had been involved in persuading Mr Karzai to accept a run-off. |
| 'Historic' election | 'Historic' election |
| However, Mr Brown on Monday said he welcomed the commission's decision. | However, Mr Brown on Monday said he welcomed the commission's decision. |
| The Independent Election Commission announces Mr Karzai's election | The Independent Election Commission announces Mr Karzai's election |
| A spokesman said the PM had "spoken to President Karzai to congratulate him on his re-election" and the two men had "discussed the importance of the president moving quickly to set out a unifying programme for the future of Afghanistan". | A spokesman said the PM had "spoken to President Karzai to congratulate him on his re-election" and the two men had "discussed the importance of the president moving quickly to set out a unifying programme for the future of Afghanistan". |
| The US administration, through its embassy in Kabul, also hailed the commission's move, which it said conformed to "its mandate under Afghan law". | The US administration, through its embassy in Kabul, also hailed the commission's move, which it said conformed to "its mandate under Afghan law". |
| The statement added: "We congratulate President Karzai on his victory in this historic election and look forward to working with him." | The statement added: "We congratulate President Karzai on his victory in this historic election and look forward to working with him." |
| 'Not what we wanted' What next for Afghanistan? | |
| Earlier on Monday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon visited Kabul and said Afghanistan's troubled election had been among "the most difficult the United Nations has ever supported". | Earlier on Monday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon visited Kabul and said Afghanistan's troubled election had been among "the most difficult the United Nations has ever supported". |
| The BBC's Lyse Doucet in Kabul says there had been intense discussion in recent days as to whether scrapping the second round would be constitutionally legal. | The BBC's Lyse Doucet in Kabul says there had been intense discussion in recent days as to whether scrapping the second round would be constitutionally legal. |
| Some observers are saying Mr Karzai's legitimacy is also in question, and ask whether his government can be effective, adds our correspondent. | Some observers are saying Mr Karzai's legitimacy is also in question, and ask whether his government can be effective, adds our correspondent. |
| This would be a particular concern to US President Barack Obama as he considers whether to send up to 40,000 more troops to Afghanistan. | This would be a particular concern to US President Barack Obama as he considers whether to send up to 40,000 more troops to Afghanistan. |
| Hundreds of thousands of votes were discounted from August's first round, including almost a third of ballots cast for Mr Karzai. | Hundreds of thousands of votes were discounted from August's first round, including almost a third of ballots cast for Mr Karzai. |
| The incumbent's share of the vote was cut to just under the crucial 50% plus one ballot threshold needed for outright victory, following an investigation by the UN-backed Electoral Complaints Commission. | The incumbent's share of the vote was cut to just under the crucial 50% plus one ballot threshold needed for outright victory, following an investigation by the UN-backed Electoral Complaints Commission. |
| Dr Abdullah had demanded key officials be removed from the IEC, which is widely regarded as pro-Karzai, ahead of any run-off vote. | Dr Abdullah had demanded key officials be removed from the IEC, which is widely regarded as pro-Karzai, ahead of any run-off vote. |
| Dr Abdullah - a Tajik-Pashtun former eye surgeon and ex-foreign minister - was adjudged in the end to have won nearly a third of valid votes cast. | Dr Abdullah - a Tajik-Pashtun former eye surgeon and ex-foreign minister - was adjudged in the end to have won nearly a third of valid votes cast. |