Early results in historic Afghan vote put Karzai in lead

KABUL, Oct 14 (AFP) - The first results released in Afghanistan's presidential election put President Hamid Karzai in the lead after 7,513 votes were counted in the northern province of Kunduz, the electoral commission said Thursday.
The Afghan Joint Electoral Management Body website showed President Hamid Karzai, considered the favourite to win the war-torn country's first election, had garnered 54.7 percent of the total with 4,004 votes.
In Kunduz province, which was the first of five regional counting centers to begin counting votes, 7,314 votes were consider valid while 217 ballot papers were declared invalid.
Millions of Afghans voted in presidential elections Saturday.