Afghans race to organize runoff election

KABUL (AP) - Facing Taliban threats and approaching winter snows, Afghan election officials must now scramble to organize a runoff presidential election on Nov. 7 after a grim President Hamid Karzai bowed to intense U.S. pressure and acknowledged that he fell short of a first-round victory.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said it will be a "huge challenge" to pull off new balloting without repeating the widespread fraud that caused U.N.-backed investigators to strip Karzai of nearly a third of his votes from the Aug. 20 first-round election.

Although Karzai's capitulation Tuesday was a relief to American officials and averted a constitutional crisis, new balloting carries with it the risk of low turnout or another round of wholesale ballot-stuffing and voter intimidation.

Another failed election would bring the Obama administration no closer to its goal of a credible, legitimate Afghan government necessary to win public support in the U.S. for the war in Afghanistan and reverse the Taliban rise.

If the election goes relatively well, it's unclear that a second-round win by Karzai, widely considered the favorite over former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, would erase the stain brought on his leadership by widespread fraud in the first balloting Aug. 20.

Karzai, standing alongside Sen. John Kerry and U.N. mission chief Kai Eide, said he welcomed the runoff. He called the decision to hold a second round "legitimate, legal and according to the constitution of Afghanistan."

"We believe it will strengthen the process of democratization in Afghanistan," he said. "It's going to be a historic period."

But Karzai did not express regret over massive fraud - most of it on his behalf - uncovered by U.N.-backed investigators after the first election.

"This is not the right time to discuss investigations," Karzai said. "This is the time to move forward toward stability and national unity."

Karzai appeared before reporters moments after the government election commission accepted the findings of the auditors that the president fell short of a majority. The Karzai-influenced commission released preliminary results last month that showed the president winning with more than 54 percent out of a field of 36 candidates.

Agreement came at the end of a day of intensive talks between Karzai and Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He praised the Afghan leader for "genuine leadership in the decision he has made today." The two men met at least four times before the announcement.

An Afghan who is close to Karzai told The Associated Press that both Kerry and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had made clear that the United States and its international partners could not accept the results of an election that was so tainted by fraud. The Afghan spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.

Although accepting a new election, Karzai demonstrated flashes of irritation, occasionally glancing at his watch as the news conference dragged on. Karzai supporters had complained of interference by foreigners, especially those on the U.N.-backed panel, which investigated and reported the fraud.

In Washington, President Barack Obama welcomed Karzai's decision, saying it offers new hope for a credible government in Kabul as the U.S. and NATO fight Taliban insurgents and al-Qaida. U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, however, sounded more pessimistic.