Karzai questions credibility of UN vote fraud panel

Kabul, Oct.14 (ANI): Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has expressed concern about the investigation into election fraud in Afghanistan.

In an interview on US TV, the BBC quoted Karzai, as saying that the resignation of an Afghan member of the UN-backed panel "cast serious doubt" on its work.

Karzai said that fraud was likely to have taken place in the August vote, but in overall terms, called it "good and fair".

Karzai leads the preliminary count but the panel's findings - due imminently - could force the vote to a second round.

The election has been mired in controversy since it was held in August, with accusations that fraud was committed on a huge scale.

The interview came a day after Mustafa Barakzai, a Supreme Court judge, quit the UN-backed Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC), which is investigating irregularities.

The panel is due to rule in the next week on the outcome of its findings. (ANI)