Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission said on Monday there would be no presidential run-off after President Hamid Karzai's only rival, Abdullah Abdullah, withdrew.

"There is no second round," the IEC's chief electoral officer Daoud Ali Najafi told Reuters.

The run-off, called after the first round in August was marred by widespread fraud, was to have been held on Nov. 7.

President Hamid Karzai had already effectively secured a second term when his only challenger, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, dropped out of the race Sunday because he said the vote would not be free or fair.

Agencies