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Afghan election gets round two

May 15, 2014

Afghanistan’s election is headed for a second round, with no candidate having won an absolute majority. Former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah and former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai will meet in a runoff.

https://p.dw.com/p/1C0S5
Afghanistan - Wahlkampf der Präsidentschaftskandidaten
Image: Getty Images

On Thursday, Afghanistan's election commission announced that no candidate had won an outright majority and that the two top finishers would meet again in a runoff, expected within weeks.

As predicted by exit polls, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah (right in photo) finished first in the April 5 vote, followed by ex-Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, a one-time adviser with the World Bank.

Earlier this week, Zalmai Rassoul (left in photo), also a former foreign minister and a presidential candidate, had endorsed Abdullah, known for his tough stance on the Taliban, in the event of a runoff.

The winner will replace Hamid Karzai, who is leaving office after serving the maximum two terms since 2004. The new president will assume power as international forces withdraw from day-to-day military roles in Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

mkg/kms (Reuters, AP)