KABUL – Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani was on track to win a secondterm on Sunday after election officials announced he had scored a majorityin presidential elections.
Nearly three months after Afghans voted in presidential polls that weremarred by low turnout and fraud claims, the election commission was finallydue to announce preliminary results Sunday, an official said.
According to the Independent Election Commission, Ghani won 50.64 per centof the vote in the September 28 poll, while his rival Abdullah Abdullahscored 39.52 per cent.
Candidates have the opportunity to lodge any complaints before a finalresult is published.
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Preliminary results were originally due October 19 but were repeatedlydelayed amid technical issues and allegations of fraud from variouscandidates.The election was meant to be the cleanest yet in Afghanistan’s youngdemocracy, with a German firm supplying biometric machines to stop peoplefrom voting more than once.
But nearly one million of the initial 2.7 million votes were purged owingto irregularities, meaning the election saw by far the lowest turnout ofany Afghan poll. -APP/AFP
