KABUL (PAN): The UN-backed electoral watchdog Sunday announced the handover to Afghanistan's Independent Election (IEC) of 358 suspect ballot boxes after completing their random audit, an official said.

An Electoral Complaints Commission spokesman told a news conference in Kabul the 358 ballot boxes examined were part of a total of 3,498, affected by a September 8 order of the ECC for an audit and recount.

Fahim Hakim revealed the audit and recount covered 10 percent of the ballots cast in the fraud-marred presidential polls held on August 20. "We are at a final stage of investigating complaints (or irregularities). Evaluation of the allegations will be completed soon."

He added the ECC might submit its final report to the IEC at the end of the week, enabling the poll panel to unveil the final outcome of the presidential vote. Complaints from 20 provinces had been probed and the rest would be disposed of shortly, Hakim assured.

On October 5, the commissions started auditing ballot boxes from the polling stations where 600 or more valid votes were polled or where one candidate received 95 percent or more of the total ballots cast on Election Day.

Thirty-nine ballot boxes, quarantined by the IEC, were excluded from the 313 boxes under review. In lieu thereof, 48 other suspect ballot boxes were added to the category.

According to preliminary results announced by the IEC, incumbent President Hamid Karzai leads with 54.6 percent of the vote, followed by his former foreign minister Dr. Abdullah Abdullah with 28 percent.

With patience wearing thin, the ECC and IEC earlier agreed a sample could be taken to obtain data so as to avoid further delay in announcing the final outcome. A random sample of polling stations was selected for each category, enabling conclusions to be reached with a low statistical margin of error.

The ECC is investigating the complaints received about polling and counting. This process is separate from the audit and recount method. Where the ECC finds clear evidence of fraud, it will order the invalidation of the results for a polling station.

Translated & edited by S. Mudassir Ali Shah