Afghan election set for run-off

Two clear frontrunners have emerged in Afghanistan’s presidential election as partial results showed a tight race that appears destined for a run-off vote.

Both candidates promise a fresh start with the West, vowing to sign a security pact with the US that has been rejected by President Hamid Karzai, but their fierce rivalry has raised the possibility of divisive campaigning in what has been a relatively peaceful vote.

With 10% of the ballots counted, Abdullah Abdullah, who was Karzai’s main rival in his fraud-marred re-election in 2009, had 41.9% of the vote.