WORLD BRIEFING / AFGHANISTAN
An election official warned that Afghanistan had a two-week window in October to hold any presidential runoff before winter snows arrived -- a somber reminder of how minor delays could leave a power vacuum well into next year.
Preliminary results from Afghanistan’s Aug. 20 vote show President Hamid Karzai winning outright with 54.6%. But if enough votes are found to be fraudulent from an election mired in allegations of ballot stuffing and voter coercion, Karzai could dip below the 50% threshold needed to avoid a runoff with challenger Abdullah Abdullah.
A top official from Afghanistan’s election commission said members were committed to holding a runoff vote if called for by fraud investigations and the ordered recounts and audits.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
