KABUL — Afghan election officials Sunday announced their first mass disqualification of votes because of possible fraud in the bitterly contested presidential race, even as President Hamid Karzai edged closer to the majority he needs for a first-round victory.
Election authorities declined to say how many votes were affected when results from nearly 450 polling places were set aside pending an investigation. Because voting took place in about 26,000 locales, this probably represents only a small share of total ballots cast, but the move could herald more such disqualifications.
The Aug. 20 vote is rapidly threatening to become a debacle. Supporters of Karzai’s main rival, Abdullah Abdullah, could react violently if they see their candidate as having been unfairly deprived of the chance to face Karzai in a runoff.
Sunday, the election commission said that, with nearly three-quarters of the vote counted, Karzai had 48.6 percent, and Abdullah trailed with 31.7 percent.
