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| Afghan Vote Results Are in Question as Fraud Count Widens | Afghan Vote Results Are in Question as Fraud Count Widens |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| KABUL, Afghanistan — Despite accusations of widespread fraud and threats of protests, Afghanistan’s election commission announced preliminary presidential runoff results on Monday, then followed them with a huge caveat: that there was no winner yet, as millions of votes were to be subjected to a special audit for fraud. | |
| In an announcement delayed for hours by negotiations, the country’s Independent Election Commission reported that Ashraf Ghani was more than a million votes ahead of Abdullah Abdullah, with a total of more than 8.1 million votes counted. That tally was far higher than previously estimated, and immediately cast even more doubt on an election already marred by weeks of conflict and accusations. | In an announcement delayed for hours by negotiations, the country’s Independent Election Commission reported that Ashraf Ghani was more than a million votes ahead of Abdullah Abdullah, with a total of more than 8.1 million votes counted. That tally was far higher than previously estimated, and immediately cast even more doubt on an election already marred by weeks of conflict and accusations. |
| Votes from nearly a third of the country’s 22,000 polling stations were being set aside for a special audit to spot fraudulent votes, said Muhammad Yousuf Nuristani, the chairman of the election commission. Votes from 50 stations had already been disqualified because of fraud, he added, without specifying the exact number of ballots at those stations, or in whose favor they were cast. A separate election complaints commission is also likely to disqualify votes deemed fraudulent. | Votes from nearly a third of the country’s 22,000 polling stations were being set aside for a special audit to spot fraudulent votes, said Muhammad Yousuf Nuristani, the chairman of the election commission. Votes from 50 stations had already been disqualified because of fraud, he added, without specifying the exact number of ballots at those stations, or in whose favor they were cast. A separate election complaints commission is also likely to disqualify votes deemed fraudulent. |
| “There is no winner yet,” Mr. Nuristani cautioned as he made the announcement. | “There is no winner yet,” Mr. Nuristani cautioned as he made the announcement. |
| Neither Mr. Ghani, a former finance minister and World Bank official, nor Mr. Abdullah, an influential opposition politician and former foreign minister, offered immediate reaction to the announcement, which came after the two sides spent hours trying to thrash out an agreement on how many polling stations would be audited. The American ambassador, James B. Cunningham, and Jan Kubis, the United Nations special envoy for Afghanistan, took part in the meetings, officials said. | Neither Mr. Ghani, a former finance minister and World Bank official, nor Mr. Abdullah, an influential opposition politician and former foreign minister, offered immediate reaction to the announcement, which came after the two sides spent hours trying to thrash out an agreement on how many polling stations would be audited. The American ambassador, James B. Cunningham, and Jan Kubis, the United Nations special envoy for Afghanistan, took part in the meetings, officials said. |
| It was not clear whether the two campaigns had reached any agreement. The number of stations to be audited, about 7,000, appeared to be lower than what the Abdullah campaign had been pressing for, and the campaign officials expressed displeasure without elaborating, saying a formal reaction would come Monday night. | It was not clear whether the two campaigns had reached any agreement. The number of stations to be audited, about 7,000, appeared to be lower than what the Abdullah campaign had been pressing for, and the campaign officials expressed displeasure without elaborating, saying a formal reaction would come Monday night. |
| After the announcement of the preliminary results, Mr. Nuristani told reporters, “There is no doubt that the negotiation between the candidates continues.” | After the announcement of the preliminary results, Mr. Nuristani told reporters, “There is no doubt that the negotiation between the candidates continues.” |
| But he did not provide any specifics about the talks, or where each side stood on Monday’s announcement. | But he did not provide any specifics about the talks, or where each side stood on Monday’s announcement. |