Preliminary Results of Afghan Election Show Runoff Likely - East Idaho News
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Preliminary Results of Afghan Election Show Runoff Likely

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Thinkstock 042614 AfghanFlag?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1398523243764iStockphoto/Thinkstock(KABUL, Afghanistan) — Afghanistan’s recent presidential election is expected to go to a second round after no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote.

The Afghan Independent Election Commission announced on Saturday that the preliminary results were in, and the leading candidate — Abdullah Abdullah –received 44.9 percent of the vote. Ashraf Ghani received 31.5 percent of the vote, enough to require a runoff election.

As much as Afghans want to learn who will replace Hamid Karzai, who has spent ten years in office, Washington is anxious for his replacement to step in so that the Bilateral Security Agreement can be signed.

Karzai has refused to agree to the post-war pact, which would keep a residual force of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan past 2015 to serve in training and advisory capacities. Billions in foreign aid is also contingent on the new president getting around to signing the BSA.

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