"Karzai bolts to victory", EXIT POLL says

[RaulVB]

"Karzai bolts to victory: exit poll"

Correspondents in Kabul

October 12, 2004

INTERIM Afghan president Hamid Karzai has won the country's first-ever presidential election with the outright majority needed to avoid a second round, according to a US exit poll.

With officials yesterday delaying the ballot count in Saturday's election to deal with fraud complaints, the International Republican Institute found Mr Karzai ahead of second place finisher Tajik commander Yunus Qanuni by 43 percentage points.

The group would not give specific vote totals for either man, nor did it release supporting data. But it said that US-backed Mr Karzai was well over the 50 per cent mark necessary to avoid a runoff...

* As reported by AFP and other agencies.