KABUL (AFP) - US-backed incumbent Hamid Karzai was proclaimed winner of Afghanistan`s first presidential election, almost a month after eight million Afghans defied threats of violence to have their first say in their country`s leadership.
"With 4,442,247 legal counted votes out of a total of 8,240,538, Hamid Karzai has won... 55.4 percent," joint UN-Afghan election commission chairman, Zakim Shah, declared at a ceremony in Kabul.
"Therefore the joint electoral commission... declares His Excellency Hamid Karzai the winner of the election as the first elected president of Afghanistan."
The historic election, contested by 17 other candidates, was certified shortly after the release of the findings of a UN-appointed fraud inquiry, which concluded that "shortcomings" did not affect the outcome.
But Karzai, who has led Afghanistan`s interim administration since the Taliban militia were ousted three years ago, was not present at the ceremony, having flown to Dubai to attend the funeral of United Arab Emirates president Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahayan.
Karzai had a decisive 39.1 percentage point lead over his nearest rival, former education minister Yunus Qanooni.
Qanooni, the favourite of the powerful anti-Taliban Northern Alliance, had acknowledged Karzai as the winner on October 24 when the incumbent`s preliminary vote tally first surpassed the four million mark.
Karzai is poised to rule Afghanistan for the next five years.
The conclusion of the ballot, hailed worldwide for its peaceful conduct after fears of violence, and Karzai`s massive victory have been overshadowed by the abduction of three UN election workers last week.
Annetta Flanigan from Northern Ireland, Shqipe Habibi from Serbia`s mainly Muslim province Kosovo and Angelito Nayan from the Philippines were kidnapped at gunpoint from their UN-marked vehicle on a busy Kabul road, just as the end of the count was announced.
A Taliban splinter group has threatened to execute them unless foreign forces and the UN quit Afghanistan and the US releases all Taliban prisoners.
The abduction has sparked fears among expatriate workers of Iraq-style kidnappings in Kabul and could undermine parliamentary elections set for April.
The election commission had to assess the report of a three-person panel of experts, plus the findings of its own investigation into irregularities, before certifying the election as "free and fair."
The panel found the poll`s "shortcomings" did not affect the result.
"This was a commendable election, particularly given the very challenging circumstances," the panel`s 38-page report concluded.
"There were shortcomings, many of which were raised by the candidates themselves," it said, adding that the problems should be considered to improve future elections.
"But they could not have materially affected the overall result."
The panel was set up by the UN after 14 of the 18 candidates threatened to boycott the election in the middle of voting over alleged irregularities, arising partly from the failure and mixup of indelible ink, which was meant to stain voters` fingers to prevent repeat voting but was easily washed off.
Panel member Craig Jenness, a Canadian former diplomat, said Afghans deserved to be proud of their first election, saying it was "conducted in a relatively calm and secure environment, with high turnout and much enthusiasm and substantial participation of women."
"Many voters made personal sacrifices and braved difficult conditions to cast their ballot on 9 October," he said. "The Afghan population is justified in the pride it has overwhelmingly expressed in this election."
The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which monitored the election, also hailed the ballot, with president Solomon Passi terming the vote "a turning point for the country and for all of central Asia."
World leaders congratulated Karzai on his win, with British Prime Minister Tony Blair telling the House of Commons the poll "was the first ever election for the Afghan people and a remarkable tribute to them and to the power of democracy."
In a letter to Karzai, EU foreign affairs chief Javier Solana said Afghans had "bestowed on you a strong and clear mandate to carry forward the democratic transformation of the country."
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder echoed this view, saying the election was a "new, decisive step on the road to stability and democracy".
Pakistan welcomed Karzai`s victory, saying already-friendly ties between the neighbours will be further strengthened under his rule.
"We are happy President Karzai has won the first democratic elections in Afghanistan and we wish him all success," Information Minister Sheikh Rashid told AFP.
11/03/2004 - 19:18 GMT - AFP