Afghan recount ordered as Karzai nears win

A UN-BACKED commission yesterday ordered a recount of tainted ballots from the Afghan presidential vote, saying it had “convincing evidence of fraud”, even as President Hamid Karzai for the first time surpassed the threshold needed to avoid a run-off and win re-election.

Doubts are growing about the August 20 election’s credibility, a key step in US and European efforts to strengthen the Afghan government and bolster declining support for the almost eight-year war against a spreading Taliban insurgency.

The UN-backed Electoral Complaints Commission, an independent body with the power to investigate and nullify fraudulent votes, ordered a recount yesterday at polling stations where it had found “clear and convincing evidence of fraud”.