Afghan Polls Fair Despite Ink Fiasco -Monitors
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Independent observers described  Afghanistan's historic presidential election as mostly fair on  Sunday despite turmoil over possible multiple voting that led  most of the candidates to call for a general boycott.
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Hamid Karzai was cruising to victory in  Afghanistan's first direct presidential election with half the  votes counted Wednesday, but returns underscored the ethnic  fault lines that often divide the country.
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Thousands of kilometers away in Afghanistan itself, security experts, independent analysts and candidates are equally amazed that the polls will go ahead on October 9, in spite of insecurity and few guarantees that the vote will be free and fair.
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Counting in Afghanistanâs presidential election concluded today, with US-backed interim leader Hamid Karzai the clear winner even though some ballot boxes were &quot;obviously stuffed,&quot; election officials said.
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Afghans halted counting in their presidential election pending a United Nations probe into accusations of fraud, as international observers said the vote is just a first step in creating a stabile and secure country.
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Yunus Qanooni, chief rival to incumbent Afghan leader Hamid Karzai, said he would accept the outcome of the country's presidential poll &quot;in the national interest&quot; despite his allegations of fraud.
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As counting in Afghanistan's presidential  election neared its end, a dip in incumbent Hamid Karzai's lead  on Saturday put more onus on an independent panel to decide if  voting irregularities could have upset the result.
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The campaign for Afghanistan's landmark presidential election has been marred by intimidation and official partiality, the United Nations said on Sunday, but it expects this week's vote to be relatively free and fair.
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Afghanistan&#39;s election had problems ranging from delible ink to untrained poll workers, but those flaws did not tarnish the remarkable accomplishment of a nation, which only three years ago was under control of the oppressive Taliban, holding its first
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Afghanistan was set to start counting  votes on Wednesday from a historic presidential election after  several candidates backed off from declaring the poll illegal.
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Afghan President Hamid Karzai is sure of  victory in his country's historic presidential poll, but the  result will not be announced for a day or so until the last few  ballot boxes are counted, an official said Monday.
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KABUL, Afghanistan - Chances for a conclusive result to Afghanistan's landmark election were on firmer ground Tuesday after President Hamid Karzai's main challenger backed away from a boycott, indicating he'd accept an independent commission to probe vote-fraud charges.    Although no ballots from Saturday's election have been counted yet, the U.S.-backed interim leader is the clear favorite to win...
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Afghanistan&#39;s first election was marred by controversy when all but one of the presidential candidates alleged voter fraud and vowed to discount the results.
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A mix-up over ink used to mark voters' thumbs triggered an uproar Saturday in Afghanistan's first direct presidential elections, leading several candidates to allege fraud despite assurances from election workers that the problem was limited.
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Afghanistan&#39;s transitional leader Hamid Karzai has won the war-shattered country&#39;s first-ever presidential election. the announcement came after a special panel endorsed the election results as free and fair.
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With voting concluded, Afghans started the process of counting the ballots cast in the nation&#39;s first-ever presidential election -- one marred by opposition protests.
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Ballot boxes poured into vote counting centers across Afghanistan on Monday, while an independent panel will probe allegations the landmark election was marred by fraud.