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| Obama urges 'new Afghan chapter' | Obama urges 'new Afghan chapter' |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| US President Barack Obama has urged Afghan leader Hamid Karzai to "write a new chapter" in governing Afghanistan, after its disputed presidential poll. | US President Barack Obama has urged Afghan leader Hamid Karzai to "write a new chapter" in governing Afghanistan, after its disputed presidential poll. |
| In a telephone call to Mr Karzai, Mr Obama also called on him to intensify efforts to eradicate corruption. | In a telephone call to Mr Karzai, Mr Obama also called on him to intensify efforts to eradicate corruption. |
| He was speaking after Mr Karzai was declared winner of August's fraud-marred election. | He was speaking after Mr Karzai was declared winner of August's fraud-marred election. |
| Mr Karzai emerged as victor after Afghan election officials scrapped a planned second round of voting. | Mr Karzai emerged as victor after Afghan election officials scrapped a planned second round of voting. |
| Mr Obama described the elections as "messy", but stressed that the final outcome was "in accordance with Afghan law". | Mr Obama described the elections as "messy", but stressed that the final outcome was "in accordance with Afghan law". |
| Mr Karzai was declared winner a day after sole challenger Abdullah Abdullah pulled out saying the run-off could not have been free or fair. | Mr Karzai was declared winner a day after sole challenger Abdullah Abdullah pulled out saying the run-off could not have been free or fair. |
| Mr Abdullah had demanded the removal of key poll officials after the first round, which had been marred by fraud. | Mr Abdullah had demanded the removal of key poll officials after the first round, which had been marred by fraud. |
| ANALYSIS Paul Reynolds, world affairs correspondent, BBC News website | ANALYSIS Paul Reynolds, world affairs correspondent, BBC News website |
| The US and British governments let it be known that they regarded the result as legitimate and constitutional and that it reflected the will of the people. | The US and British governments let it be known that they regarded the result as legitimate and constitutional and that it reflected the will of the people. |
| Suddenly there was talk that the Afghans did not really want another vote, that they saw it as foreign meddling... However, the praise stopped there. There are conditions attached. | Suddenly there was talk that the Afghans did not really want another vote, that they saw it as foreign meddling... However, the praise stopped there. There are conditions attached. |
| The first is that the Afghan government has to start taking a lead in security operations... | The first is that the Afghan government has to start taking a lead in security operations... |
| The international forces have to be seen as acting in support of the Afghan government and not the other way round. Karzai in favour, conditionally | The international forces have to be seen as acting in support of the Afghan government and not the other way round. Karzai in favour, conditionally |
| In Washington, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters: "President Karzai has been declared the winner of the Afghan election... So obviously he's the legitimate leader of the country." | In Washington, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters: "President Karzai has been declared the winner of the Afghan election... So obviously he's the legitimate leader of the country." |
| Earlier on Monday a spokesman for Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission (IEC), Azizullah Lodin, declared that President Karzai, "the only candidate for the second round", had been "elected president of Afghanistan". | Earlier on Monday a spokesman for Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission (IEC), Azizullah Lodin, declared that President Karzai, "the only candidate for the second round", had been "elected president of Afghanistan". |
| He said the second round, scheduled for 7 November, was being scrapped to save money and for security reasons. | He said the second round, scheduled for 7 November, was being scrapped to save money and for security reasons. |
| 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. |
| Congratulations | Congratulations |
| 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. |
| UN chief Ban Ki-moon was among the dignitaries who congratulated Mr Karzai | |
| 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. |
| However, Mr Brown on Monday said he welcomed the commission's decision. | However, Mr Brown on Monday said he welcomed the commission's decision. |
| 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". |
| UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who is in Kabul, also congratulated Mr Karzai. | UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who is in Kabul, also congratulated Mr Karzai. |
| What next for Afghanistan? class="" href="/2/hi/south_asia/8339127.stm">Vote 'failed to learn from past' class="" href="/2/hi/south_asia/8337683.stm">'Not what we wanted' | |
| He said Afghanistan's troubled election had been among "the most difficult the United Nations has ever supported". | He 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 President Obama as he considers whether to send up to 40,000 more troops to Afghanistan. | This would be a particular concern to President 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. |
| Mr Abdullah had demanded key officials be removed from the IEC, which is widely regarded as pro-Karzai, ahead of any run-off vote. | Mr Abdullah had demanded key officials be removed from the IEC, which is widely regarded as pro-Karzai, ahead of any run-off vote. |
| A Tajik-Pashtun former eye surgeon and ex-foreign minister, Mr Abdullah was judged in the end to have won nearly a third of valid votes cast. | A Tajik-Pashtun former eye surgeon and ex-foreign minister, Mr Abdullah was judged in the end to have won nearly a third of valid votes cast. |