Abdullah: Karzai rigged elections

Officials of Abdullahs campaign have alleged fraud in several southern provinces where the insurgency is strongest and Karzai had been expected to run strong.

He uses the state apparatus in order to rig an election, Abdullah said. He said it doesnt make the slightest difference whether Karzai or his supporters ordered the alleged fraud. All this happens under his eyes and under his leadership8230; This is under his leadership that all these things are happening,and all those people responsible for this fraud in parts of the country are appointed by him.

Abdullah has called for calm and says grievances should be resolved through the countrys Electoral Complaints Commission. He said that government officials in Kandahar and Ghazni stuffed ballot boxes in Karzais favour in six districts. He also said his monitors were prevented from entering several voting sites.

Karzais campaign spokesman Waheed Omar dismissed Abdullahs allegations and said the Presidents camp had submitted reports of fraud allegedly committed by Abdullahs followers to the commission.

Omar said. He said losing candidates often claim fraud to try to justify their loss.

Abdullah said he was not claiming victory but in these early days and early preliminary results Im very happy.

Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan,said that its observers saw widespread problems from election officials who were pressuring people to vote for certain candidates. They also reported seeing voters carrying boxes of voter cards to polling sites,said foundation head Nader Nadery.

The US-based National Democratic Institute said on Saturday the vote involved serious flaws and pointed to the fact that members of the Independent Election Commission are appointed by Karzai,suggesting a likelihood of bias.

Preliminary results will not be released until Tuesday,but final certified results wont come until next month.