Sunday Times 2
Afghan preliminary election results due as run-off looms
View(s):KABUL, April 26 (AFP) – Afghanistan is set to announce preliminary presidential election results today, with former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah ahead in early counting but below the 50-percent vote required to avoid a run-off.
Abdullah secured 43.8 percent of the vote, with his main rival Ashraf Ghani on 32.9 percent, after four-fifths of ballots were counted, according to partial results released on Thursday.
Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah at a polling station in Kabul on April 5 (Reuters)
The Independent Election Commission (IEC) said a press conference to release the full preliminary results was scheduled for 6:00 pm (1330 GMT).
The final official result is set to be announced on May 14 after a period for adjudication of hundreds of complaints over alleged fraud.
If no candidate gains more than 50 percent, a run-off between the two leading names is scheduled for May 28.
Ahmad Yusuf Nuristani, head of the IEC, has predicted that a second round vote would be likely.
Both Abdullah and Ghani, a former World Bank economist, have vowed to fight on if a run-off is required.
Another expensive and potentially violent election could be avoided by negotiations between the candidates in the coming weeks, but Abdullah has dismissed talks of a possible power-sharing deal.