Abdullah Abdullah Announces He Will Not Participate in Run-Off Election in Afghanistan

As we speak, Afghan challenger Abdullah Abdullah is making a speech regarding the Run-off election in Afghanistan. CNN reports that, while all the English translations are not in, he is making a defiant speech about the current Afghan administration and election.

From AFP:

KABUL — Opposition candidate Abdullah Abdullah was greeted by cheering supporters Sunday as he arrived at a venue in Kabul where he was to announce whether he would pull out of Afghanistan's election run-off. Abdullah, a former foreign minister, is widely expected to withdraw from the race after President Hamid Karazai refused to bow to a series of conditions designed to avoid a repeat of the rampant fraud in the first round. A withdrawal would make the contest a one-man race, throwing doubt over Karzai's legitimacy if the election scheduled for November 7 still goes ahead.

UPDATE, 2:36AM:

Abdullah pulls out of Run-off election.

From the BBC:

President Hamid Karzai's rival in the second round of the Afghan presidential election has announced in Kabul that he is withdrawing from the poll. Abdullah Abdullah had set out conditions he wanted to be met for the contest to be considered fair. But Mr Karzai rejected his demand that election officials who presided over the first round should be dismissed.

[edit on 1-11-2009 by ineverknew]