KABUL, 4 November 2004 — US-backed incumbent Hamid Karzai was proclaimed yesterday the winner of Afghanistan’s first presidential election, almost a month after eight million Afghans defied threats of violence to have their first say in their country’s leadership
“With 4,442,247 legal counted votes out of a total of 8,240,538, Hamid Karzai has won ... 55.4 percent,” the chairman of the joint UN-Afghan election commission, Zakim Shah, declared at a ceremony in Kabul to certify the ballot.
“Therefore the joint electoral commission ... declares His Excellency Hamid Karzai the winner of the election as the first elected president of Afghanistan.”
The historic election, contested by 17 other candidates, was certified shortly after the release of the findings of a UN-appointed fraud inquiry, which concluded that “shortcomings” did not affect the outcome.
But Karzai, who has led Afghanistan’s interim administration since the Taleban militia was ousted three years ago, was not present at the ceremony, having flown to Dubai to attend the funeral of United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Zayed ibn Sultan Al-Nahayan.
Karzai had a decisive 39.1 percentage point lead over his nearest rival, former Education Minister Yunus Qanooni.
Qanooni, the favorite of the powerful anti-Taleban Northern Alliance, was not immediately available for comment. He had already acknowledged Karzai as the winner on Oct. 24 when the incumbent’s preliminary vote tally first surpassed the four million mark.
Karzai is poised to rule Afghanistan for the next five years.
The election commission had to assess the report of a three-person panel of experts, plus the findings of its own investigation into irregularities, before certifying the election as “free and fair.”
The conclusion of the ballot, hailed worldwide for its peaceful conduct after fears of violence, and Karzai’s massive victory have been overshadowed by the abduction of three UN election workers last week.
Annetta Flanigan from northern Ireland, Shqipe Habibi from Serbia’s mainly Muslim province Kosovo and Angelito Nayan from the Philippines were kidnapped at gunpoint from their UN-marked vehicle on a busy Kabul road, just as the end of the count was announced.
A Taleban splinter group has threatened to execute them unless foreign forces and the UN quit Afghanistan and the US releases all Taleban prisoners.
Afghan officials expressed optimism at winning the release of the three foreign hostages after Jaishul Muslimeen (Army of Muslims) extended yesterday’s deadline for their execution.
“We are optimistic about securing a release of the UN workers before the deadline ends,” Interior Ministry spokesman Lutfullah Mashal said.
“I can’t confirm talks between the Interior Ministry and the hostage-takers but I can confirm that progress is being made.”
Shah said the abduction was “a matter of sorrow for all joint electoral commission workers and the Afghan nation.”
“They were guests in our country,” he said.
The abduction has sparked fears among expatriate workers of Iraq-style kidnappings in Kabul and could undermine parliamentary elections set for April.
The expert panel found the poll’s “shortcomings” did not affect the overall result. “This was a commendable election, particularly given the very challenging circumstances,” the panel’s 38-page report concluded.
“There were shortcomings, many of which were raised by the candidates themselves. These problems deserve to be considered, to ensure the will of the voters was properly reflected, and to help shape improvements for future elections.
“But they could not have materially affected the overall result.”
