Karzai declared Afghan president

Afghan President Hamid Karzai was returned to power after election officials cancelled a needless run-off on Monday, but was warned he would need to work harder to retain the West's support after a flawed electoral process.

The government-appointed Independent Election Commission (IEC) called off the Nov. 7 presidential run-off a day after Karzai's only rival, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, withdrew, sparking concerted efforts to have the vote cancelled.

The IEC, which had said on Sunday the vote would proceed, said it changed its mind to spare the Afghan people the expense and security risk of staging a run-off with only one candidate.

IEC chief Azizullah Ludin told a packed news conference the commission was also concerned a one-candidate race would raise concerns about the legitimacy of the presidency. The first round in August was marred by widespread fraud in favour of Karzai.

"The Independent Election Commission declares the esteemed Hamid Karzai as the president ... because he was the winner of the first round and the only candidate in the second round," Ludin said.

Abdullah withdrew on Sunday citing doubts about the fairness of the process, sparking a frantic round of diplomatic efforts to have the run-off cancelled.

A weakened Afghan government under Karzai would be a blow for U.S. President Barack Obama as he considers whether to send up to 40,000 more troops to fight a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan.

Western officials and analysts said it was too late to remove fears about Karzai's legitimacy and said the man who has ruled since U.S.-backed Afghan forces toppled the Taliban in 2001 would have to work much harder to retain the confidence of the West.

"The credibility of the Karzai government is not going to be simply decided by this election, it will now be decided by the actions the president takes over the coming days and weeks," a Kabul-based Western official told Reuters.

"The first test will be the formation of his cabinet. If he is serious about reform we need to see that," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY

Others described the outcome of the election as political expediency. The result came at the end of a tumultuous day, after weeks of uncertainty, which included a surprise visit by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

"Not only are the citizens of NATO countries with forces fighting here supposed to buy into this hastily cobbled together sham, apparently the Afghan people are as well," said Norine MacDonald, president of think-tank the International Council on Security and Development. Ban and the U.S. Embassy in Kabul later issued statements congratulating Karzai.

"Afghanistan now faces significant challenges and the new president must move swiftly to form a government that is able to command the support of both the Afghan people and the international community," Ban said.

Many in the West see Karzai as a weak leader at the head of a government riddled with corruption and foremost among those challenges will be coming up with a cabinet acceptable to Afghans and to the country's international partners.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown spoke to Karzai after Abdullah's withdrawal on Sunday about tackling corruption and "getting the right people into government".

Brown said Karzai had spoken of a "national unity manifesto".

NO CHOICE

Analysts said Abdullah had emerged in a much strengthened position and as the undoubted leader of Afghanistan's previously fractious and divided opposition. Karzai would have no choice but to work with him in future, they said.

"Karzai has lost his legitimacy, he is a very weak president and he cannot govern without reaching out to Dr Abdullah," said Kabul-based political analyst Haroun Mir.

Karzai's camp ruled out a power-sharing deal with Abdullah if it meant a coalition government, but now may not have any choice but to include some of Abdullah's team in key posts.

Abdullah said he was open to future talks but also said no deals had been struck in return for his withdrawal, seen by diplomats as one way to spare the country more uncertainty that discredits the government and can only aid the insurgency.

Ban met both Karzai and Abdullah, officials said, before the decision was announced. He made the visit after five foreign U.N. staff were killed in a suicide attack last week on a Kabul guest-house used by the United Nations.

The attack was claimed by the Taliban, who had vowed to disrupt the run-off and said the guest-house was targeted because of the United Nations' role in helping organise the election.

The run-off was ordered after a UN-led investigation panel found widespread fraud in favour of Karzai in the Aug. 20 poll.