Votes cast in presidential election in Afghanistan counted.

MOSCOW, September 7 (Itar-Tass) -- The unofficial results of the
presidential election in Afghanistan may be announced in the next five
days, Russian ambassador to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said on Monday.
"The counting of the votes does not proceed smoothly. Accusations of
irregularities and rigging of votes are exchanged," he said in a live
broadcast of the Russian information channel Vesti. "The preliminary
unofficial results of the voting may be announced in five days." He said
the election results would be officially announced in accordance with the
plan on September 17.
Meanwhile Afghanistan's law on election does not envisage recounting
of the votes. "There is a different process," Kabulov noted. "Alongside
the Central Electoral Commission, there is the commission to investigate
complaints, and it may decide to cut the number of votes cast for some or
other candidate," that is, to invalidate votes.
According to the latest information, Afghanistan's Independent
Electoral Commission has annulled the election results in 447 out of the
country's 28,000 polling stations for violations detected there. Some
2,500 complaints registered by now are so serious that they may affect the
outcome of the voting.
Meanwhile, according to the Independent Electoral Commission,
Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai remains in the lead with 48.6 percent
of the poll (2.08 million votes out of the 4.3 million). The main
contestant, ex-foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah earned so far 31.7
percent of the poll (1.36 million votes). The next in the race,
ex-minister of planning Ramazan Bashardost earned some 460,000 votes.
These results were published after the counting of 75 percent of the
votes. Karzai is so far short of about two percent of the poll he needs to
avoid the second round of the election.
-0-saf/usn