AP image
Kabul:
Afghanistan's electoral authorities are expected to announce their decision on fraud allegations plaguing the presidential election within days but the bitter wrangling is likely to drag on.
Officials said an announcement could be made before the end of the week on who is to be the country's next president, or whether there will be a run-off between the two main candidates.
Afghans voted on August 20 but the elections have been overshadowed by allegations of fraud, most against incumbent Hamid Karzai, including findings by EU observers that a quarter of all votes, or 1.5 million, were suspicious.
Karzai leads preliminary results with around 55 per cent of the vote. He needs 50 per cent plus one vote to be declared the winner.
His main rival Abdullah Abdullah has around 28 per cent.
Preparations have been made for a run-off between the two, which experts say would have to be held as soon as possible as winter snows will soon make large parts of the country impassable.
Almost two months after the vote, patience with the drawn-out process is wearing thin and an international research organisation says those in Karzai's southern powerbase are so disillusioned they might not vote in a run-off.
Officials said an announcement could be made before the end of the week on who is to be the country's next president, or whether there will be a run-off between the two main candidates.
Afghans voted on August 20 but the elections have been overshadowed by allegations of fraud, most against incumbent Hamid Karzai, including findings by EU observers that a quarter of all votes, or 1.5 million, were suspicious.
Karzai leads preliminary results with around 55 per cent of the vote. He needs 50 per cent plus one vote to be declared the winner.
His main rival Abdullah Abdullah has around 28 per cent.
Preparations have been made for a run-off between the two, which experts say would have to be held as soon as possible as winter snows will soon make large parts of the country impassable.
Almost two months after the vote, patience with the drawn-out process is wearing thin and an international research organisation says those in Karzai's southern powerbase are so disillusioned they might not vote in a run-off.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
