The main challenger to Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan's president, withdrew from a planned election run-off yesterday, effectively handing him victory and raising fears that the next government will lack the legitimacy needed to help the US confront the Taliban.
The boycott by Abdullah Abdullah further complicates a decision by Barack Obama, US president, on whether to send more troops to fight a strengthening Taliban insurgency.
Mr Abdullah said the government failed to take steps he had demanded to prevent a repeat of the widespread fraud that marred the initial vote in August. The rigging prompted western powers to push for a second round this Saturday.
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