Karzai, Abdullah Campaigns Each Claim Victory in Afghanistan

VOA REPORTING
Campaign teams for the two leading Afghan presidential candidates are both claiming victory in the country's second-ever presidential election. Incumbent President Hamid Karzai's campaign chief Deen Mohammad said that initial results show Mr. Karzai with a substantial lead and that a run-off vote will not be necessary.But a spokesman for former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah - considered by observers to be Mr. Karzai's closest challenger - dismissed the claim and said Abdullah had a definitive edge in the vote count..
Afghanistan's Independent Election Committee (IEC) said all the presidential ballots had been counted but refused to confirm either claim, urging the candidates to wait for the release of official results.Millions of Afghans braved the threat of Taliban attacks to vote Thursday. Violence in Kabul, Kandahar, and other major cities killed at least 26 people. IEC Deputy Chief Zekria Barakzai said Friday that 40 to 50 percent of eligible Afghan voters went to the polls.The turnout is markedly lower than the 70 percent turnout during country's first democratic election in 2004. Observers said some voters appeared to have been scared away, especially in the southern regions where the Taliban has its stronghold. There are concerns low voter turnout will damage the election's credibility and undermine support for the winner. And election authorities say they are investigating reports of ballot-stuffing and faulty voting equipment. Still, they are calling the election a success. IEC Deputy Chief Barakzai said election officials in each of the country's provinces had finished counting votes in the presidential election and that those results were being sent to the capital. He said ballots for the provincial elections were still being counted.Mr. Karzai was considered the frontrunner in a field of more than 30 presidential candidates, although his once-comfortable lead shrank as election day neared.