Afghan election body begins recounting suspicious ballot boxes

KABUL, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan election body began recounting suspicious ballot boxes on Monday, a joint press release of the Independent Election Commission (IEC) and Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) said.

Election workers audit and recount ballots at a warehouse in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, Oct. 5, 2009.(Xinhua/Zabi Tamanna)

"Today the ECC and IEC began the audit and recount process that was mandated by ECC's order of 08 September 2009," the press release added.

It noted that "a total of 3498 polling stations are covered by the ECC's order out of which a sample size of approximately 10 percent was randomly selected. The sample size now contains 358 ballot boxes."

ECC staffs, observers and agents, according to the statement, "are present to verify that the procedures are correctly followed."

Afghanistan's second presidential election held on August 20, according to presidential contesters has marred by widespread fraud and vote rigging.

The sitting president Hamid Karzai has secured over 55 percent of some 5.5 votes in the preliminary result while his main challenger Abdullah Abdullah who bagged 28 vowed not to accept the outcome unless the transparency is ensured.