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KABUL (PAN): Unofficial results indicate President Hamid Karzai and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah dominated vote counts in Kabul and are virtually in a dead heat (tied) in a dozen or so polling station counts.

Karzai polled the great majority of votes in results from the south and east, while Abdullah took most of the votes in provinces immediately north of Kabul. The incumbent trailed behind trailed behind his ex-foreign minister in Parwan

In Herat, most results were withheld from the media until Friday. Given its population and voter turnout, the western province could be a major factor in whether the election goes to a second round.

Karzai bagged 1151 votes, followed by Ramazan Bashardost with 52, at one polling centre that had eight stations in Mehtarlam -- capital of eastern Laghman province. Dr. Abdullah received 51 votes and Dr. Ashraf Ghani 22.

Similarly, the president outpolled his rivals with 98 ballots at the Haider Khani centre in the same city, where Abdullah obtained 19 votes.

The president maintained his lead by obtaining 1069 votes in Kharoti village of Qarghayee district, where the defunct Northern Alliance leader could get only 27 ballots. At the QarghayeeHigh School centre, Karzai emerged on top with 277 votes, with Abdullah getting 60, Yasini 11 and Ghani 17.

In the eastern city of Jalalabad, capital of Nangarhar province, Karzai secured 268 votes, Ghani 118 and Abdullah 21 at the Kochi Masjid polling centre. In Dur Baba district of the same province, Karzai grabbed 240 votes, Abdullah 30 and Dr Ghani four.

According to initial results from a polling station in Sirajul Amarat area of the city, 748 votes went to Karzai, 115 to Ghani, 38 to Ramazan Bashardost and 51 to Abdullah.

At the Imam Bukhari polling centre, the president gained 603 ballots, Ghani 134, Bashardost 58, Abdullah 32 and Mirwais Yasini 11. Results from three polling stations in Achin district say Karzai secured 1677 votes and Ghani 55.

In Ghanikhel district, Karzai received 89 votes, Yasini 79, Ghani 17, Dr Ferozan Fana nine and Abdullah one.

Vote counts from 28 polling stations in Asadabad -- capital of eastern Kunar province -- reveal Karzai secured 6843 votes, Abdullah 251 and Ashraf Ghani 175.

At the Mirwais High School polling centre in Kandahar, Karzai got 280 votes, Ashraf Ghani 65 and Dr. Abdullah 30. At the Kaka Syed Ahmad centre, a total of 586 votes were cast. Of them 247 went to Karzai while the remaining were shared by Abdullah and Ghani.

At another centre in Loya Wala area of the southern city, Karzai received 450 votes, Ghani 80 and Abdullah 30. All the 400 votes cast by women at a station in Daman district went to Karzai.

According to results from Khairkhana neighbourhood of Kabul, Karzai won 652 ballots, Abdullah 580, Bashardost 138, and Ghani 117. One hundred and seventy-two votes went to Karzai, 167 to Abdullah, five to Bashardost and 11 to Ghani in the 16^th Police District of Kabul.

Results from the Spin Jumat centre in the Sixth Police District show 747 votes for Karzai, 502 for Bashardost and 28 for Abdullah.

Abdullah got 370 votes, Karzai 111 and Bashardost five at the Qalacha polling centre in Bagram district of Parwan province.

At the Qarya-i-Miana polling station in Jabalus Siraj district, Abdullah was on top with 428 ballots, followed by Karzai with a mere 15. At another polling station in the same district, Abdullah received 417 votes against 32 for Karzai and five for Bashardost. Elsewhere in the district, a similar trend prevailed. Abdullah received 1735 votes and Karzai 136.

The president bagged 34 votes against Abdullah's six in Tagab district of central Kapisa province. According to results from another station in the same town, Karzai grabbed 68 votes and Abdullah nine. At a third station, the president got 28 votes and Abdullah 13. At a fourth station, Karzai emerged with 13 votes and Abdullah 12. The incumbent received 96 votes and Abdullah 16 at another station in Tagab.

In Aibak, the capital of Samangan, Karzai received 232 votes, Abdullah 133, Bashardost 23. At another station, Karzai obtained 170 votes and Abdullah got 117.

mud/frm/ma