Afghanistan: Result for presidential polls in the cards

By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL, Afghanistan (AA) - The long-awaited final results of the landmark presidential polls in Afghanistan will be announced on Tuesday, a state-run broadcaster announced.

The Radio Television of Afghanistan reported that the result for September 2019 polls are due to be revealed amid rejuvenated peace parley between the Taliban and the U.S.

Sediq Sediqqi, spokesman for the president, told a news conference on Tuesday the next move for the government is to form an inclusive team for direct talks with the insurgents after a likely deal between the Taliban and the U.S. later this month.

“About the details of the reduction in violence, on how to implement it, the Afghan security forces are working in close collaboration with the U.S. partners,” he said on the proposed reduction of violence deal between Washington and the Taliban.

As per the initial election results announced in December, the incumbent President Ashraf Ghani secured 50%-plus-one-vote, the minimum rate required to win the polls, in the first round, leaving no ground for a rerun.

Ghani’s main rival, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah came second with 39.5% of votes and veteran Mujahideen leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar gained 3.8% of the total vote cast. Both rejected the initial results.

Similarly, troubled presidential polls in 2014 delivered a weak and divided national unity government under Ghani and Abdullah when the country was pushed to the edge of disorder amid withdrawal of some 100,000 foreign troops.