Ashraf Ghani declared winner in Afghan elections, Abdullah rejects

KABUL - Afghanistan's election commission on Tuesday announced the final results of Sept 28 presidential polls and declared incumbent President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani as the winner.

"Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has secured 50.64 percent of the votes used in the presidential elections, therefore the Independent Election Commission announces him as elected president of Afghanistan," head of the election commission Hawa Alam Nuristani said at a press conference here.

Ghani's rival and chief executive of his National Unity Government Abdullah Abdullah stood the second by securing 39.52 percent of the votes, she added.

However, Abdullah rejected the outcome as "unfair" and said he is the winner of the election and deserves to form government.

"We are the winner of the presidential elections. The result announced by the election commission is unfair and bogus, so our team rejects it and forms its broad based government," Abdullah said in his speech among his supporters Tuesday evening.

Afghanistan's fourth presidential election since the collapse of Taliban rule in late 2001 was held amid tight security on Sept 28 among over a dozen contesters.

The preliminary results of the controversial presidential polls were announced in December wherein Ghani topped first position and Abdullah stood second in the race.

More than 1.9 million out of 9.4 million eligible voters casted their votes in Sept 28 presidential elections.