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| Afghanistan’s Ghani wins slim majority in presidential vote | Afghanistan’s Ghani wins slim majority in presidential vote |
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| KABUL — Afghan election officials announced Sunday that President Ashraf Ghani had won reelection by a hair's breadth in a nationwide September vote, earning 50.64 percent of votes in the contest against his top rival's 39.52 percent, after weeks of delay, controversy and protests by opponents. | KABUL — Afghan election officials announced Sunday that President Ashraf Ghani had won reelection by a hair's breadth in a nationwide September vote, earning 50.64 percent of votes in the contest against his top rival's 39.52 percent, after weeks of delay, controversy and protests by opponents. |
| But Abdullah Abdullah, Ghani’s estranged governing partner and main contender, immediately denounced the results as “fraudulent” and said it was “against the law.” In a Facebook post shortly after the televised announcement, Abdullah said the results had “no legitimacy” and that he would “stand by our promise” to challenge them. | But Abdullah Abdullah, Ghani’s estranged governing partner and main contender, immediately denounced the results as “fraudulent” and said it was “against the law.” In a Facebook post shortly after the televised announcement, Abdullah said the results had “no legitimacy” and that he would “stand by our promise” to challenge them. |
| The results are considered preliminary, and opponents have 72 hours to file protests with the election complaints commission, which then has two weeks to review them. Some observers said the narrowness of Ghani’s win, which required only 50.1 percent of the vote, might lead to a second round of voting. | |
| The tensely awaited news of the results came amid nationwide tensions over the repeatedly postponed polling and troubled vote-count. Abdullah’s supporters have held rallies in the capital and numerous provinces, demanding that several hundred thousand questionable ballots be recounted but then boycotting the actual recount. | The tensely awaited news of the results came amid nationwide tensions over the repeatedly postponed polling and troubled vote-count. Abdullah’s supporters have held rallies in the capital and numerous provinces, demanding that several hundred thousand questionable ballots be recounted but then boycotting the actual recount. |
| The election turnout was extremely low, with less than 2 million ballots cast among more than 9 million registered voters, suggesting that either winner would have a weak governing mandate. But Ghani, who was forced to share power with Abdullah after a fraud-plagued election in 2015, has asserted that a victory would give him a strong mandate to lead Afghan peace talks with Taliban insurgents. | The election turnout was extremely low, with less than 2 million ballots cast among more than 9 million registered voters, suggesting that either winner would have a weak governing mandate. But Ghani, who was forced to share power with Abdullah after a fraud-plagued election in 2015, has asserted that a victory would give him a strong mandate to lead Afghan peace talks with Taliban insurgents. |
| The election commission head, Hawa Alam Nuristani, thanked the nation for its patience as the panel struggled to hold “transparent and fair elections” while coping with insurgent violence, technical complications and lack of money and staff. The election employed biometric technology for the first time to count votes, and there were significant discrepancies between the number of paper ballots and the biometric data results. | The election commission head, Hawa Alam Nuristani, thanked the nation for its patience as the panel struggled to hold “transparent and fair elections” while coping with insurgent violence, technical complications and lack of money and staff. The election employed biometric technology for the first time to count votes, and there were significant discrepancies between the number of paper ballots and the biometric data results. |
| In a formal live ceremony, Nuristani read out the results for 13 candidates who had polled a total of 1.824 million votes. She said Ghani received 934,868 votes and Abdullah 720,099. Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a former Islamist militia leader, received 70,243 votes, and Rahmatullah Nabil, a former national intelligence chief, received 33,292. | In a formal live ceremony, Nuristani read out the results for 13 candidates who had polled a total of 1.824 million votes. She said Ghani received 934,868 votes and Abdullah 720,099. Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a former Islamist militia leader, received 70,243 votes, and Rahmatullah Nabil, a former national intelligence chief, received 33,292. |
| In a series of tweets, U.S. Ambassador John Bass cautioned that “it’s important for all Afghans to remember that these results are preliminary. Many steps remain before final results are certified, to ensure the Afghan people have confidence.” | In a series of tweets, U.S. Ambassador John Bass cautioned that “it’s important for all Afghans to remember that these results are preliminary. Many steps remain before final results are certified, to ensure the Afghan people have confidence.” |
| The U.N. Special Representative for Afghanistan, Tadamichi Yamamoto, sent a similar cautionary statement saying “all Afghan authorities and actors must demonstrate their commitment to safeguard and complete the election. He said that any candidates’ concerns may be raised through official channels in accordance with the law, and that election officials must process them “transparently and thoroughly” to finish the election “in a credible manner.” | The U.N. Special Representative for Afghanistan, Tadamichi Yamamoto, sent a similar cautionary statement saying “all Afghan authorities and actors must demonstrate their commitment to safeguard and complete the election. He said that any candidates’ concerns may be raised through official channels in accordance with the law, and that election officials must process them “transparently and thoroughly” to finish the election “in a credible manner.” |
| Opponents of Ghani, including influential independent candidates like Nabil and powerful ethnic party leaders backing Abdullah, have claimed that Ghani and his aides rigged the election from the beginning through ballot-stuffing and other means. Some of Abdullah’s backers threatened to provoke a political rebellion if Ghani won via fraud. | Opponents of Ghani, including influential independent candidates like Nabil and powerful ethnic party leaders backing Abdullah, have claimed that Ghani and his aides rigged the election from the beginning through ballot-stuffing and other means. Some of Abdullah’s backers threatened to provoke a political rebellion if Ghani won via fraud. |
| “If he wins cleanly we will support the result 100 percent, but we will not allow him to impose another fraudulent result,” said Hafiz Mansour, a senior legislator in Jamiat-e-Islami, the largest political party supporting him. If Abdullah gives the order, he said, “we will take over 23 provinces. We understand the consequences, but what alternative is there?” | “If he wins cleanly we will support the result 100 percent, but we will not allow him to impose another fraudulent result,” said Hafiz Mansour, a senior legislator in Jamiat-e-Islami, the largest political party supporting him. If Abdullah gives the order, he said, “we will take over 23 provinces. We understand the consequences, but what alternative is there?” |
| Other voices called for calm, including independent lawmaker Gul Ahmad Azimi. | Other voices called for calm, including independent lawmaker Gul Ahmad Azimi. |
| “This country and its people cannot afford more crisis. We have to be patient and wait for the final outcome,” Azimi commented on ToloNews TV after the announcement. “In the history of Afghanistan, no one has accepted defeat. We have to accept each other.” | “This country and its people cannot afford more crisis. We have to be patient and wait for the final outcome,” Azimi commented on ToloNews TV after the announcement. “In the history of Afghanistan, no one has accepted defeat. We have to accept each other.” |
| If enough complaints are validated by election officials, some observers said Ghani’s total could drop enough to require a runoff. | If enough complaints are validated by election officials, some observers said Ghani’s total could drop enough to require a runoff. |
| Many Afghans felt the election should not be held at all, and that reaching a settlement with the Taliban was a far higher priority for the nation. A main reason for the historically low turnout at the Sept. 28 polls contest was that many people doubted it would be held at all, or were afraid to vote because of Taliban threats to attack the polls. At one Ghani campaign rally, a suicide bomb killed at least 24 people and wounded scores more. | Many Afghans felt the election should not be held at all, and that reaching a settlement with the Taliban was a far higher priority for the nation. A main reason for the historically low turnout at the Sept. 28 polls contest was that many people doubted it would be held at all, or were afraid to vote because of Taliban threats to attack the polls. At one Ghani campaign rally, a suicide bomb killed at least 24 people and wounded scores more. |
| Yousuf Rasheed, executive director of the Free and Fair Election forum for Afghanistan, said that even if public protests do not erupt, the electorate has become so disillusioned that it may be difficult to restore people’s faith in the democratic process. | Yousuf Rasheed, executive director of the Free and Fair Election forum for Afghanistan, said that even if public protests do not erupt, the electorate has become so disillusioned that it may be difficult to restore people’s faith in the democratic process. |
| “There is a great lack of public confidence in the political environment,” Rasheed said Sunday. “If the opponents start putting on pressure and more protests now, it will not be helpful or improve the process. It will be a disaster.” | “There is a great lack of public confidence in the political environment,” Rasheed said Sunday. “If the opponents start putting on pressure and more protests now, it will not be helpful or improve the process. It will be a disaster.” |
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