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| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| Karzai's lead slips in Afghan vote |
| 2004-10-23 |
| KABUL (Reuters) - As counting in Afghanistan's presidential election neared its end, a dip in incumbent Hamid Karzai's lead has put more onus on an independent panel to decide if voting irregularities could have upset the result. Election officials hope the panel that includes a Canadian diplomat and election experts from Britain and Sweden will have its report ready by midweek, shortly after the counting ends. The panel had called for a meeting on Saturday afternoon with candidates. But many remain sceptical about the process. "We do not count on the panel... It is not the solution to our claims," said Ahmad Shah Ahmadzai, who was eighth in a field of 18. Another candidate, destined to be an also-ran, shared the same reservations. "From our side, we will raise and discuss the issue of the violations and frauds, during the meeting with the panel. I doubted from the very beginning that the panel has any power to solve the problems," Abdul Hafiz Mansoor told Reuters. |
| Posted by:Steve White |