Former Afghan foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah is in the lead in the partial vote count for the presidential elections, authorities said Sunday. According to dpa, the election commission announced the results based on 500,000 votes from 26 of 34 provinces. Some 7 ballots were cast in the April 5 poll. Abdullah received 212,312 votes, or 41.9 per cent, while former World Bank technocrat Ashraf Ghani garnered 190,561 votes, or 37.6 per cent. Another ex-foreign minister, Zalmai Rassoul, received 49,821 votes, to place a distant third with 9.8 per cent. A final vote count is expected on May 14. If none of the candidates receive 50 per cent of the vote, a run-off election will take place.
