Kabul: Afghan electoral authorities have cancelled the scheduled release on Saturday of the latest tranche of results from controversial elections that have been overshadowed by fraud allegations.
The next batch of results from polling stations would be released on either Sunday or Monday, a spokeswoman for the Independent Electoral Commission said.
"It is because of a technical problem that we will not be able to make any announcement today," Marzia Siddiqi said.
She said the IEC hoped to be able to release the preliminary result at its next announcement. Final results are not due before September 17.
The IEC has been releasing the results piecemeal since the elections for president and provincial councilors were held on August 20.
Throughout the labourious process of gradual announcements, the two main contenders for the presidency, incumbent Hamid Karzi and Abdullah Abdullah, have each claimed victory.
Abdullah, formerly foreign minister, has also alleged widespread vote rigging by Karzai's camp and has threatened to reject any result he regards as compromised.
The latest results were released September 3, and showed Karzai maintaining a lead with 47.3 per cent of the results from 60 per cent of the polling stations used in Afghanistan's second only direct presidential election.