Afghan claim

AFGHAN president Hamid Karzai yesterday insisted the country’s disputed election was “true and fair” and refused to accept a second round of voting simply to satisfy critics claiming massive fraud.

Karzai said any run-off must follow the legal re-counting process, likely to take weeks. Election commissioners said they would not order any run-off ballots until after the recount.

“We cannot claim a wrong and then commit another wrong in order to make a right,” Karzai said.