Afghanistan’s interim leader, Hamid Karzai, held a 45% lead today in the preliminary results of the country’s first presidential election, though a chief rival said the validity of the vote was in doubt.

Early results today put interim leader Hamid Karzai far ahead of his chief rivals in Afghanistan’s landmark presidential election as the vote count was suspended for the beginning of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

Armed men roaming the streets of Kabul have been told to get out of the city in the next 72 hours or be jailed.