Afghan president on course to win second term

Results of September vote marred by accusations of fraud, technical problems

KABUL— Afghan President Ashraf Ghani appears to have narrowly won a second term, according to preliminary results from September’s balloting that were announced Sunday, although his main challenger rejected the outcome as illegitimate.

If the outcome stands despite the complaints of ballot fraud, it could give Ghani the authority he has sought, to demand a leading role in peace talks with the Taliban, in the country devastated by decades of war.

In a nationally televised address from the presidential palace later in the day, Ghani claimed victory over his main rival, Abdullah Abdullah, who serves as Afghanistan’s chief executive in a fragile national unity government.

“We will connect and unite all Afghans,” Ghani said. “We will end the crisis and all divisions by building a responsible government.”

Ghani and his government have been sidelined during this year’s direct talks between the U.S. and the Taliban. Washington wants to withdraw its thousands of combat troops and end 18 years of fighting in Afghanistan, America’s longest war.

Ghani won 923,868 votes, or 50.64 per cent in the Sept. 28 balloting, according to the long overdue preliminary results announced by Hawa Alam Nuristani, head of the Independent Election Commission. She said Abdulla h won 720,990 votes. Although she did not give a specific percentage for him at her news conference in Kabul, he appears to have received 39.52 per cent

The results have been repeatedly delayed amid accusations of misconduct and technical problems, and Nuristani did not say when final results would be announced.

Abdullah rejected the outcome in a televised speech and also claimed victory, saying the election commission had sided with those who committed ballot fraud.

“There is no doubt based on the clean vote of the people that we are the winner of the election,” Abdullah said.

He said that what he called “the important stage of the election process” still remains: for the Electoral Complaints Commission to look into separating legitimate ballots from fraudulent ones.

“The damage from fraud and suicide bombing is the same,” Abdullah added.

The Taliban control or hold sway in half the country and stage near-daily attacks on Afghan forces and officials or those seen as allied with the government, also killing scores of civilians.