JALALABAD (PAN): A countrywide electioneering has been launched for the November 7 runoff polls as a meeting was held in support of Hamid Karzai in the eastern city of Jalalabad on Saturday.

Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission (AIEC) has announced last week that none of the presidential hopefuls succeeded to achieve the required number of votes in the August 20 polls. Hence, second round of the elections will be held between Hamid Karzai and runner up Dr. Abdullah Abdullah on November 7.

Election gatherings were held in different parts of the country in support of Hamid Karzai and Dr. Abdullah on the first day of the formal election campaign on Saturday.

Around 1,000 elders attended a gathering in Jalalabad to announce their support for Hamid Karzai in the second round of polls. The gathering was organised by Nasratullah, candidate for the provincial council and son of former Nangarhar governor Haji Din Muhammad.

Talking to Pajhwok Afghan News, Nasratullah said the people of Nangarhar would fully participate in the second round of polls.

Alongside asking the people to cast their votes in the elections, he urged the gathering to support Karzai.

He demanded of the AIEC to take action against those responsible for fraud in the August 20 presidential elections.

An elder from Sherzad district, Haji Abdul Ahad, told Pajhwok they would fully support Karzai on November 7. "Karzai's majority was openly converted into minority," he added.

Head of the Arab community in Nangarhar Saifullah said the first round of the election was interfered and defamed by foreigners. "But this time, we will not allow any one to interfere in the polls," he added.

He said the people of Afghanistan were united and any one fanning ethnic sentiments in the garb of elections, were enemies of the country.

It merits a mention here that it was the first meeting in support of a candidate being held in Nangahar since the announcement of second round of polls in the country last week.

dk/ma