The Times
Jerome Starkey in Kabul

United Nations election staff have threatened to end support for a second round of presidential elections in Afghanistan because local officials are refusing to tackle voter fraud.

The international community has been urging authorities in Kabul to close hundreds of polling stations where there were irregularities in the first round. The local Independent Election Commission, which ran the first round, said yesterday that it will increase that number instead.

“There’s been absolutely no effort by the commission to crack down on fraud in the run-off,” said a European official. “In fact they are gearing up to do the whole thing over again.”

President Karzai bowed to international pressure last week to compete in a run-off after accepting he did not win the first round outright. (Read original)