Karzai wins Afghan election, official says
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-10-26 20:24

Counting in Afghanistan's presidential election concluded Tuesday, with U.S.-backed interim leader Hamid Karzai the clear winner, a senior official said.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai speaks at a meeting in Kabul October 26, 2004. With victory all but a formality in Afghanistan's historic presidential election, Hamid Karzai waited on Tuesday for the final votes to be counted to confirm his win. [Reuters]

Afghan President Hamid Karzai speaks at a meeting in Kabul October 26, 2004. With victory all but a formality in Afghanistan's historic presidential election, Hamid Karzai waited on Tuesday for the final votes to be counted to confirm his win. [Reuters]

Investigators were still examining about 100 ballot boxes to clear up lingering fraud allegations, but the election's chief technical officer said the count was effectively "over and done."

"It's just these last dribs and drabs to be approved," David Avery told The Associated Press. "It's really nothing that can affect the outcome."

Election officials have said they will not announce official results of the Oct. 9 vote until investigations of irregularities alleged by Karzai's main rivals have been concluded, which could take until the weekend. The winner's inauguration is to take place about one month later.

The official election Web site had yet to add in the latest results, still listing the count as 97.7 percent complete as of early Tuesday. Karzai had 55.4 percent of the votes, 39 points ahead of his closest rival, former Education Minister Yunus Qanooni.

Karzai needed more than 50 percent to avoid a run-off and secure a five-year term in which he has pledged to raise impoverished Afghans' living standards after a quarter-century of fighting.

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