Afghan election gets round two
May 15, 2014![Afghanistan - Wahlkampf der Präsidentschaftskandidaten](https://static.dw.com/image/17628045_800.webp)
On Thursday, Afghanistan's election commission announced that no candidate had won an outright majority and that the two top finishers would meet again in a runoff, expected within weeks.
As predicted by exit polls, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah (right in photo) finished first in the April 5 vote, followed by ex-Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, a one-time adviser with the World Bank.
Earlier this week, Zalmai Rassoul (left in photo), also a former foreign minister and a presidential candidate, had endorsed Abdullah, known for his tough stance on the Taliban, in the event of a runoff.
The winner will replace Hamid Karzai, who is leaving office after serving the maximum two terms since 2004. The new president will assume power as international forces withdraw from day-to-day military roles in Afghanistan by the end of 2014.
mkg/kms (Reuters, AP)