This archive report was first published on 13 December 2019.
December 13, 2019, marked a significant development in Afghanistan's presidential election saga as Abdullah, the country's chief executive, agreed to a recount in seven northern provinces.
The decision came after Abdullah had initially refused to allow the recount, citing the need to invalidate approximately 300,000 'fraudulent' ballots out of a total of 1.8 million.
However, in a press conference, Abdullah stated, "I call on the dignified people of Afghanistan to let the recount take place in seven provinces (out of a total of 34).">
The ongoing uncertainty surrounding the election has raised concerns about a repeat of the crisis that followed the last presidential election in 2014, which saw widespread allegations of fraud and a power-sharing agreement brokered by the US.
The election, meant to be the cleanest yet in Afghanistan's young democracy, was marred by irregularities, resulting in nearly a million initial votes being purged and the lowest turnout of any Afghan poll.
