Kabul (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Thousands of supporters of Afghan politician Abdullah Abdullah marched in Kabul, calling for an investigation into allegations of fraud in the 14 June presidential elections runoff.
Protesters, including the presidential candidate, claim that the entire electoral process was marred by "massive" fraud. Ashraf Ghani, Abdullah's rival, also wants the Election Commission to intervene.
Presidential elections were held on 5 April. Since none of the eight candidates won an absolute majority, a runoff between the two main contenders Abdullah Abdullah, of the National Coalition of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, of the independent party, was held on 14 June.
Charges and counter-charges of fraud are likely to worsen the country's political instability. The head of the United Nations mission in Afghanistan, Jan Kubis, has warned that a contested election result could inflame ethnic tensions and lead to "a slide into violence".
Meanwhile, the Afghan government has yet to ratify a deal that would permit a small number of US troops to remain in the country beyond 2014, but that can happen only if its legitimacy is not challenged.