POLITICS: Karzai Wins Afghan Election, Official Says

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KABUL, Afghanistan - Counting in Afghanistan's presidential election concluded Tuesday, with U.S.-backed interim leader Hamid Karzai the clear winner, a senior official said.

Investigators were still examining about 100 ballot boxes to clear up lingering fraud allegations, but the election's chief technical officer said the count was effectively "over and done."

"It's just these last dribs and drabs to be approved," David Avery told The Associated Press. "It's really nothing that can affect the outcome."

Election officials have said they will not announce the official results of the Oct. 9 vote until investigations into irregularities alleged by Karzai's main rivals have been concluded. That could be this weekend.

The winner will be inaugurated in about a month.

Final results were not posted on the election Web site, either. But in an earlier tally based on 97.7 percent of total votes cast, the U.S.-backed Karzai had 55.4 percent, which was 39 percentage points ahead of his closest challenger, former Education Minister Yunus Qanooni





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