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Afghanistan elections: early signs point to second round show-down Afghanistan elections: early signs point to second round showdown
(about 3 hours later)
Afghanistan has begun tallying up votes from the weekend's historic presidential elections, a process that will take weeks to complete, but rough early counts suggests the country is headed for a second round show-down between two former ministers. Afghanistan has begun tallying votes from the weekend's historic presidential elections, a process that will take weeks to complete, but rough early counts suggest that the country is heading for a second-round showdown between two former ministers.
Voters defied a Taliban intimidation campaign, turning out in unexpectedly high numbers on Saturday to choose a successor to incumbent Hamid Karzai, who has ruled for 12 years and is barred by the constitution from seeking a third term. Voters defied Taliban intimidation, turning out in unexpectedly high numbers on Saturday to choose a successor to Hamid Karzai, who has ruled for 12 years and is barred by the constitution from seeking a third term.
The Taliban mounted nearly 700 attacks nationwide, said General Zahir Azimy, spokesman for the defence ministry, but fears of a bloody, dramatic attack in the capital or another major city during the election proved unfounded. The day ended with an outpouring of support for the 350,000 police and soldiers on duty around the country, who for the first time secured an election without foreign support.The Taliban mounted nearly 700 attacks nationwide, said General Zahir Azimy, spokesman for the defence ministry, but fears of a bloody, dramatic attack in the capital or another major city during the election proved unfounded. The day ended with an outpouring of support for the 350,000 police and soldiers on duty around the country, who for the first time secured an election without foreign support.
Now diplomats and observers are calling for candidates to respect Afghans' display of trust in their young democracy by allowing election organisers to sort through results and complaints, after all three front-runners said they were confident of success and warned of fraud by other camps.Now diplomats and observers are calling for candidates to respect Afghans' display of trust in their young democracy by allowing election organisers to sort through results and complaints, after all three front-runners said they were confident of success and warned of fraud by other camps.
"Premature announcements will only undermine this historic political transition process and its democratic, peaceful character," the United Nations envoy to Afghanistan Jan Kubis warned the groups competing for power. "Premature announcements will only undermine this historic political transition process and its democratic, peaceful character," the United Nations envoy to Afghanistan, Jan Kubis, warned the groups competing for power.
"[Kubis] urged candidates and their supporters to show patience when problems arise by directing their complaints to the appropriate institutions under Afghanistan's laws, and that the final decisions of these institutions be respected," the UN office said in a statement. Eight men are competing to replace Karzai, but none are expected to have scrambled over the 50% threshold that would mean immediate victory, despite their own optimism, so the top two will probably compete in a run-off scheduled for next month.
There were eight men competing to replace Hamid Karzai, who has ruled the country for 12 years and is barred by the constitution from standing again. None are expected to have scrambled over the 50% threshold that would mean immediate victory, despite their own optimism, so the top two will probably compete in a run-off scheduled for next month. Former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, who was Karzai's main rival in a 2009 election marred by widespread cheating, had promised his followers a knock-out victory if the government contained fraud. He is confident that he was doing well despite ballot paper shortages in his strongholds.
Former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, who was Karzai's main rival in a 2009 election marred by widespread cheating, had promised his followers a knock-out victory if the government contained fraud. He's confident he was doing well despite ballot papers shortages in his strongholds.
"Our performance has been very good," he told the Guardian. "[The fraud] is not like anything we saw in the earlier election, although there are still worrying signs.""Our performance has been very good," he told the Guardian. "[The fraud] is not like anything we saw in the earlier election, although there are still worrying signs."
Former finance minister and World Bank technocrat Ashraf Ghani posted on his website preliminary results, collated by observers, claiming 57 percent of the vote. Former finance minister and World Bank technocrat Ashraf Ghani posted on his website preliminary results, collated by observers, claiming 57% of the vote.
The main loser appears to be another former foreign minister Zalmai Rassoul, a softly-spoken moderate who was believed to be Karzai's preferred successor. Although the president has stayed strictly neutral in public, he cajoled his brother into abandoning a separate bid for the top office to join a man who has royal blood but only a limited support base. The main loser appears to be another former foreign minister, Zalmai Rassoul, a softly spoken moderate who was believed to be Karzai's preferred successor. Although the president has stayed strictly neutral in public, he cajoled his brother into abandoning a separate bid for the top office to join a man who has royal blood but only a limited support base.
The official result is not due for over two weeks. Voting papers have to be collected from around the country, including polling stations so remote that they were transported in on donkeys and must be brought out the same way.The official result is not due for over two weeks. Voting papers have to be collected from around the country, including polling stations so remote that they were transported in on donkeys and must be brought out the same way.
In warehouses in Kabul, tallying of votes by duplicate teams – to limit room for fraud – began on Monday, but the earliest results from the painstaking process are not due for several days.In warehouses in Kabul, tallying of votes by duplicate teams – to limit room for fraud – began on Monday, but the earliest results from the painstaking process are not due for several days.
New anti-fraud measures have given a snapshot of the result, however, which was seized on by campaign teams and journalists around the country. Each polling station was required to post up a copy of their results for anyone to read or photograph, and the day after the vote details of individual tallies began to circulate online.New anti-fraud measures have given a snapshot of the result, however, which was seized on by campaign teams and journalists around the country. Each polling station was required to post up a copy of their results for anyone to read or photograph, and the day after the vote details of individual tallies began to circulate online.
There are over 20,000 polling stations so any collection of results is sporadic, and by Monday many results had been torn down or disappeared from polling stations across the city.There are over 20,000 polling stations so any collection of results is sporadic, and by Monday many results had been torn down or disappeared from polling stations across the city.
However across Kabul, in polling results from areas home to different several different ethnic groups recorded by the Guardian, Abdullah and Ghani switched places at the top. Rassoul, who had claimed the city's educated youth as a key group of supporters, rarely came in second and never made first place.However across Kabul, in polling results from areas home to different several different ethnic groups recorded by the Guardian, Abdullah and Ghani switched places at the top. Rassoul, who had claimed the city's educated youth as a key group of supporters, rarely came in second and never made first place.