Preliminary results of an audit show Karzai may have received less than 50% of vote
According to The New York Times, a report released Monday by a special audit committee shows that Afghan President Hamid Karzai won about 48 per cent of the national vote, meaning a run-off election should have taken place between him and his rival, Abdullah Abdullah. Karzai has yet to formally accept those results, but after some resistance over the weekend, it appears he will soon do so. If the committee’s final report shows that Karzai won less than half of the vote, a runoff will be constitutionally mandated to take place within two weeks. The audit committee’s official conclusions are expected in a matter of weeks. The United States has expressed hope that this auditing process will grant greater legitimacy to whatever government emerges in Afghanistan.