Second Afghan poll ahead as UN throws out Karzai's votes

TENSION was mounting in Afghanistan today as British troops and diplomats prepared for a possible second round of voting after investigators uncovered major fraud in the ballots cast for Hamid Karzai in the presidential election. UN-backed fraud investigators yesterday threw out nearly a third of the president's votes from the August poll.

The findings by the Electoral Complaints Commission dropped Mr Karzai's votes to 48 per cent of the total, below the 50 per cent threshold needed for him to avoid a run-off, according to calculations by independent election monitors.

If Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission - which is dominated by Karzai supporters - accepts the findings, it will have to revise preliminary results released last month and order a second round. Both US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon signalled that a resolution was near.

Mrs Clinton said Mr Karzai planned to announce his intentions today, adding that she was "encouraged at the direction the situation is moving".

Prime Minister Gordon Brown was among the international figures who stepped in with a telephone call to Mr Karzai after earlier suggestions that he might contest the findings.

Spokesman Waheed Omar said the Karzai camp was waiting for the election commission to formally certify the UN-backed panel's findings, thereby giving them the force of law.

Although short of an unequivocal pledge to accept a run-off, the statement appeared to represent a step in that direction after days of outright rejection.

White House officials indicated that the current confusion could delay a decision over a possible troop surge in the region. Barack Obama's administration has been holding off on a decision to send more troops to Afghanistan until a credible government is installed in Kabul. If there is a run-off between Mr Karzai and his main rival, former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, UK troops will help transport ballot boxes and voting papers to and from remote polling stations, but will maintain a low profile around the poll - to be held by mid-November to beat the winter. Afghan police and soldiers will provide security.

The August vote was the first Afghan-led election for more than 30 years but it was marred by low turnout and widespread reports of ballot fraud.