Afghan President Hamid Karzai will face a run-off vote against challenger Abdullah Abdullah after neither candidate received more than 50 percent of votes in the Aug. 20 first round, election officials said on Tuesday.

"It will go to a second round on November 7th. The reason was Karzai's vote was 49.67 and could not reach above 50 percent," said Noor Mohammad Noor, a spokesman for Afghanistan's government-appointed Independent Election Commission.

Karzai said that a decision by Afghan election authorities to hold a second round run-off in November was legal and constitutional.

"We believe that this decision of the IEC (Independent Election Commission) is legitimate, legal and constitutional and that it strengthens the path towards domocracy," Karzai said in remarks televised live on Afghan television.



Reuters