Afghan president Hamid Karzai won the first-ever presidential election with the outright majority needed to avoid a second round, and by a wide margin over his nearest competitor, according to an independent exit poll today.

Election organisers are creating an independent panel to investigate whether Afghanistan’s first-ever presidential vote was marred by fraud, hoping to end an opposition boycott that could seriously undermine the winner’s ability to rule this war-ravaged nation.

AN independent commission will probe claims by all 15 opposition candidates that Afghanistan's first direct presidential election was marred by incompetence and fraud, a top official said yesterday in an attempt to quash claims the vote was illegitimate.

An independent commission will probe claims by all 15 opposition candidates that Afghanistan’s first direct presidential election was marred by incompetence and fraud, a top official said today in an attempt to quash claims the vote was illegitimate.