KABUL — The leading challenger in Afghanistan’s presidential vote urged electoral officials Saturday to stop announcing preliminary results because of “highly suspicious numbers” in tallies released so far.
Results from the Aug. 20 election have been dribbling out alongside a torrent of complaints of ballot-box stuffing and voter intimidation. International and Afghan observers have been critical of the vote but have held back judgment until counting and fraud investigations have finished.
Partial results from 60 percent of polling stations show President Hamid Karzai ahead but still shy of the more than 50 percent needed to avoid a runoff.
Former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah said that the tallies released so far show suspicious figures, with a number of stations posting nearly identical numbers for Karzai and none for any other candidate.
Abdullah has previously alleged fraud on the part of the Karzai administration and said that electoral workers, appointed by Karzai, are partisan to the president. He said the latest tallies are proof that the system is rigged.
