Karzai widens lead over Abdullah in Afghanistan polls

KABUL: President Hamid Karzai widened his lead over his top challenger today after Afghan officials released more partial vote results. The
president's new total pushed him closer to the 50 per cent threshold that would allow him to avoid a two-man runoff.

The Independent Election Commission released its second batch of results from last week's presidential election. More will be released in coming days, and final certified results won't be ready until at least mid-September, after the dozens of serious complaints of fraud have been investigated.

Low voter turnout and the fraud allegations have cast a pall over the election. Top challenger Abdullah Abdullah has accused Karzai of widespread rigging, including ballot stuffing and voter intimidation, claims Karzai's camp has denied.

The latest returns boost Karzai's standing to 44.8 per cent. Abdullah now has 35.1 per cent. The count is based on returns from 17 per cent of polling stations nationwide, meaning the results could still change dramatically.

Before the election commission released results today, Ramazan Bashardost -- a candidate likely to come in third -- stood up at the news conference and told officials they were breaking the law by announcing results before the Electoral Complaints Commission carries out its work.

Millions of Afghans went to the polls last Thursday to vote in the country's second-ever direct presidential election. Militants launched dozens of attacks across the country, shutting down some polling sites and appearing to dampen turnout.