Kabul, July 7 (IANS): Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai is leading as Afghan election authorities announced the preliminary results of the presidential election Monday.
"Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai secured 56.44 percent of more than eight million votes in the presidential runoff held June 14, while his contender Abdullah Abdullah garnered 43.56 percent," Xinhua quoted Chairman of the Election Commission Ahmad Yusuf Nuristani as saying at a press conference here.
Abdullah, who secured 45 percent of some seven million votes in April 16 presidential election against his rival Ghani Ahmadzai, has already suspended his engagement with the Election Commission, saying any decision taken by the commission was unacceptable unless until the valid votes were filtered from the fake ones.