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KABUL (PAN): Though the election law does not mention the fate of a candidate intends to withdraw from the second round of election, but lawyers have varied views about that.

The runoff election between Hamid Karzai and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah is going to be held on November 7. Under the August 20 poll results, Karzai had obtained 49.68 and Abdullah 30.59 percent votes.

In recent days, Dr. Abdullah has put forward some conditions and warned he might boycott if those were not accepted. However, Karzai said election would not be postponed this time.

A teacher at the Rights and Political Affairs Department of Kabul University Wadir Safi told Pajhwok Afghan News any candidate who boycotted the polls would be declared as the defeated. He said there was no need for another term of elections.

Nawekht Yar, press department official of the election commission, said the time for postponement of election is over. He said any candidate who does not take part in the runoff would be considered the loser.

Nasrullah Setanikzai, another teacher at the

KabulUniversity, however, said postponement was the right of a candidate. But he stresses the need for participation in the polls. He said no competition usually dispute the results of the election.

He said Karzai and Abdullah stayed on top after the first term election and the two should come forward for the second round on the prescribed date.

However, another teacher at the Kabul University Shehla Farid says the Loya Jirga should decide about the non-participation of a candidate in the second round of elections as the law does not mention something clearly.

Referring to the security situation in the country, Shehla said they should not create problems at this critical juncture and come forward for the election.

Head of the lawyers community, Gul Rahman Qazi does not believe even in the first term of the elections. He says the runoff is held after the first term elections are legal and constitutional.

If the first round was legal, then its results should have been accepted, said Qazi, who added that when fraud was reported in the first round polls, there is no need for the second round.

About the withdrawal of a candidate from the second round, Qazi said: "Logic says that when there are two competitors in the field and one withdraws, the second is considered successful."