Count delay in Afghan poll

KABUL – Afghan officials delayed counting ballots yesterday after the historic presidential election to deal with complaints of fraud, but several candidates appeared to be pulling back from an initial decision to reject the vote.

Saturday’s poll was the first time the impoverished, war-torn Islamic nation had voted for a president and it took place despite sabotage threats by fundamentalist Taliban insurgents. Millions participated enthusiastically, but the poll ended in confusion when all 15 challengers to President Hamid Karzai announced a boycott, saying a system to prevent illegal multiple voting had failed.However, many of them were reportedly willing to drop the boycott call and let the Joint Election Management Body (JEMB) decide on their complaints, implicitly agreeing that they would accept its decision and the poll result.The JEMB said it was investigating the complaints.One top official, J.Ray Kennedy, told Reuters however that the count would be delayed until it decided how to handle suspect ballots.”We are hoping all this will be in place by the end of the day tomorrow (today),” he said.Karzai is overwhelming favourite to win, and US envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad and others were trying to persuade his main opponents to drop their refusal to recognise the poll result, Western diplomats and candidates said.- Nampa-ReutersMillions participated enthusiastically, but the poll ended in confusion when all 15 challengers to President Hamid Karzai announced a boycott, saying a system to prevent illegal multiple voting had failed.However, many of them were reportedly willing to drop the boycott call and let the Joint Election Management Body (JEMB) decide on their complaints, implicitly agreeing that they would accept its decision and the poll result.The JEMB said it was investigating the complaints.One top official, J.Ray Kennedy, told Reuters however that the count would be delayed until it decided how to handle suspect ballots.”We are hoping all this will be in place by the end of the day tomorrow (today),” he said.Karzai is overwhelming favourite to win, and US envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad and others were trying to persuade his main opponents to drop their refusal to recognise the poll result, Western diplomats and candidates said.- Nampa-Reuters