The camps for the top rivals in Afghanistan’s election, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and President Ashraf Ghani, have both claimed victory after the first round of voting on Saturday, even though official counting is still under way.
Abdullah, who is seeking the presidency for the third time after losing in 2009 and 2014, said his team would “make the new government”.
“We have the most votes in this election,” Abdullah said at a news conference on Monday, without offering evidence.
Also on Monday, Ghani’s running mate Amrullah Saleh said that the president had won a clear first-ballot victory. Saleh also did not offer evidence.
Abdullah and Ghani have shared power over the past five years in a so-called unity government formed by the United States after a standoff in the wake of allegations of widespread fraud and corruption in the 2014 polls.
A candidate needs to win more than 50 percent of the vote to claim victory in the first round of voting.
