WASHINGTON — An investigation of allegedly fraudulent ballots in Afghanistan’s troubled election has reduced President Hamid Karzai’s portion of the vote to about 47 percent, an outcome that will trigger a runoff between him and his closest competitor, according to officials familiar with results.
The tally by the U.N.- backed Electoral Complaints Commission is due to be finalized today.
Preliminary results by Afghanistan’s national electoral commission had given Karzai 54.6 percent of the Aug. 20 vote.
The findings have major implications for the Obama administration’s deliberations over a new Afghanistan war strategy, and could eventually help remove the cloud of illegitimacy hanging over its partner government there. But a new election could also make an already-difficult situation worse, particularly if fraud is once again alleged or if the vote has to be delayed because of the onset of the Afghan winter.
