UN Watchdog Calls for Recount in Afghanistan
"Clear and convincing evidence of fraud" prompts move
Tuesday, Sep 8, 2009 | Updated 8:45 AM EDT
AP
Afghan President Hamid Karzai may be seen as illegitimate after reports of widespread voter fraud.
A UN-backed watchdog has ordered a partial recount in last month's Afghanistan presidential election after finding "clear and convincing evidence of fraud."
Current results have President Hamid Karzai was close to the 50% threshold needed for an outright win in his re-election bid. But with reports of phony ballots and polling stations growing, U.S. ambassador Karl Eikenberry met Karzai on Monday night to discuss his concerns.
The UN-backed Election Complaints Commission said there should be a recount where any single candidate received more than 95% of valid votes, in any polling station where more than 100 votes were cast.
Karzai's nearest rival, Abdullah Abdullah, who has claimed the vote amounted to "state-engineered fraud" - was about 17 percentage points behind.
The fraud controversy comes as Washington considers whether to send thousands more troops to the country, where violence has hit a record high eight years on from the US-led invasion.
Get more: BBC
Photos: Metro North Train Collision