Preliminary results tomorrow

KABUL) on Friday said it was all set to release preliminary results from the April 5 presidential election tomorrow (Saturday).

IEC spokesman Noor Mohammad Noor told reporters in Kabul they were fully prepared to release the results and their technical experts were busy finalizing a complete report on votes tallied in provinces.

He said audit into votes cast at 1700 polling centres was still ongoing and a recount of votes at 769 centres had been completed.

Noor said result sheets from all the 34 provinces had reached the IEC’s main office and had been entered into the data system there.

Although it remains unclear if the presidential race will go to a second round, Noor said they were ready to hold a runoff if necessary.

“If the election goes to a second round stage, the security organs will hold a joint meeting to discuss security for the runoff vote within a week after the announcement of preliminary results,” he said.

A day earlier, the IEC released a third set of partial results showing Abdullah Abdullah remained ahead of his main rival Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai.

However, both leading candidates have so far failed to win an outright majority. A candidate must obtain 50 plus one percent of votes to emerge the victor.

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