KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Friday intervened for the first time in the country’s growing election crisis, backing a call for UN mediation to help solve a standoff over alleged fraud.

Abdullah Abdullah, previously seen as the front-runner to succeed Karzai, has asked the UN to step in and said that he would reject the result due out next month because of “blatant” fraud committed in the vote a week ago.

The dispute has thrown the country’s first democratic transfer of power into turmoil to the dismay of international backers looking for a concrete sign of progress after 13 years of costly military and civilian assistance.

Karzai appeared keen to lower tension ahead of demonstrations planned on Saturday by Abdullah’s supporters after the ongoing vote count reportedly put Abdullah well behind poll rival Ashraf Ghani.

The proposed rallies raised fears of clashes with security forces at a sensitive time for Afghanistan as NATO combat troops withdraw.

“I not only accept this proposal (for UN mediation), but I see it as positive step to ending these problems,” Karzai said in a statement.

“The disputes and doubts arising during the election process are a natural thing,” he added.

“It is fine and calm in the country.”

The UN did not immediately respond to Karzai’s statement, but on Wednesday it described Abdullah’s decision to suspend all cooperation with the election authorities as “regrettable.”

The 2009 election, when Karzai retained power, was mired in massive fraud, shaking the US-led international effort to develop Afghanistan after the Taleban rule.

Abdullah pulled out of that election before a run-off vote against Karzai, saying that systematic fraud made it impossible for him to win, and he has repeatedly said he will not withdraw again.