Challenger quits Afghan election

The Associated Press

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Chances for a conclusive result to Afghanistan's landmark election were on firmer ground Tuesday after President Hamid Karzai's main challenger backed away from a boycott, indicating he'd accept an independent commission to probe vote-fraud charges.

Although no ballots from Saturday's election have been counted yet, the U.S.-backed interim leader is the clear favorite to win. But his ability to consolidate his rule over the fractious, war-ravaged nation would be undermined if the opposition refuses to acknowledge the vote results.

The tally was to begin Wednesday at the earliest, with final results not expected until late October.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, the first foreign leader to visit since the election, all but declared Karzai the winner, while an exit poll conducted by an American group closely tied to the U.S. Republican Party projected Karzai would win with the outright majority needed to avoid a second round.

The survey by the International Republican Institute said Karzai would finish ahead of his main challenger, ethnic Tajik candidate Yunus Qanooni, by an overwhelming 43 percentage points. The group did not release a breakdown of its data.

Qanooni announced Monday he would accept an investigation by an independent panel of election experts into opposition complaints that the supposedly indelible ink used to mark voters' thumbs in some polling stations could be rubbed off, allowing some to vote more than once.

The announcement followed similar statements Sunday by Massooda Jalal, the only female presidential hopeful, and ethnic Hazara candidate Mohammed Mohaqeq.

"I don't want to be against the election and I appreciate the good will of the people of Afghanistan," Qanooni said. "I want to prove to the people of Afghanistan that the national interest is my highest interest."

The announcements were a victory for election organizers, who agreed to set up the panel Sunday in hopes it would end the crisis that emerged when all 15 opposition candidates declared the boycott while voting was underway Saturday.

The election has been hailed as a success by U.N. officials, Bush and other world leaders. International electoral observers have criticized the 15, saying their demand to nullify the vote was unjustified.