Karzai Officially Declared Winner Of Afghan Election

3 November 2004 - A spokesman for the UN-Afghan Joint Electoral Management Body said today the Afghan Transitional Administration Chairman Hamid Karzai is the winner of the 9 October Afghan presidential election.
Sultan Baheen, a spokesman for the panel, said while there were some voting irregularities, they did not materially affect the outcome of the election.

He said Karzai won a little over 55 percent of the vote, obtaining the simple majority needed to avoid a runoff against his nearest rival.

The result will be officially certified later today.

(AFP/Reuters)

[For more on the Afghan elections, see RFE/RL and Radio Free Afghanistan's dedicated "Afghanistan Votes 2004-05" webpage.]