KABUL — Abdullah Abdullah, a former foreign minister who is President Hamid Karzai’s top rival, told a crowd in Kabul on Monday that he will win the election — “if they don’t steal your votes,” confident rhetoric that analysts say could stoke a violent backlash if his supporters think they’ve been cheated.
Serious questions about the balloting could result in a winner without real legitimacy — a problem in a country where the government struggles to exert control beyond the capital.
Abdullah’s campaign manager, Abdul Satar Murad, said after the speech that Abdullah’s prediction of victory is correct but that he is not stoking violence among supporters in the case of a loss.
“They will be watching the process, and if things are fair and impartial, this (an electoral defeat) is part of the game,” he said. “. . . There are diplomatic channels to go through and express your feelings.”
