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Afghanistan election results announced Sunday. Will they matter?

Kabul, Afghanistan Afghanistan's drawn-out presidential election may finally be coming to an end.

Nearly six months after Afghans cast ballots in a first-round vote, the country's election commission on Saturday said it would announce final, audited results on Sunday from a two-man runoff held in June.

U.N. and Afghan election officials spent weeks auditing the runoff results after allegations of vote fraud, a common occurrence over Afghanistan's last two presidential elections.

The announcement that vote results are coming would appear to override one of the negotiating stances of candidate Abdullah Abdullah: that vote results are not released because, he contends, undetectable fraud invalidates the results.

Despite the recount and audit, the drawn-out race does not appear to be coming down to a precise vote tally. Rather, high-stakes negotiations will settle the country's power structure.

Boiled down to their simplest formula, the talks pit the northern power brokers backing former Foreign Minister Abdullah against the southern and eastern Pashtun supporters of Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, a former finance minister and World Bank official.

President Hamid Karzai excused himself from a memorial ceremony in honor of a deceased former president on Saturday to prepare for what is hoped to be the final agreement on a national unity government.

"If you give me permission I want to leave and prepare for another meeting in which our jihadi leaders, elders and candidates will attend and we will have good news for the Afghan nation, God willing," Karzai told the gathering.

As of mid-Saturday evening, though, a campaign aide to Ghani Ahmadzai said a meeting between the candidates had not yet begun and it wasn't clear if one would be held.

The two candidates have been negotiating a deal that would divide responsibilities between the president and the newly created office of chief executive. Those talks have been dragging on for weeks despite two in-person visits by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and many follow-up phone calls.

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Afghanistan election results announced Sunday. Will they matter?

Afghanistan awaits promised deal, poll results

Afghanistan's messy post-election uncertainty appeared close to resolution on Sunday. The commission that oversaw June's election said it would publish the final results. And, aides to the candidates said both would sign a power-sharing deal.

The moves could break a three-month political deadlock that has further destabilized Afghanistan as the US-led military coalition prepares to end its 13-year war against the Taliban.

A spokesman for outgoing President Hamid Karzai, Aimal Faizi, said late on Saturday that "both candidates are expected to sign an agreement on the structure of a National Unity (government)" during a ceremony with Karzai.

Faizullah Zaki, a spokesman for ex-finance minister Ghani said "both camps have agreed 100 percent on everything."

Mujib Rahimi, a spokesman for former foreign minister Abdullah also confirmed that a deal had been struck, but did not give details.

Speculation on posts

Media speculation suggested that Ghani would become president, with Abdullah nominating who would fill the post of "chief executive," possibly taking on the post himself.

Ghani is widely supported by Pashtuns, Afghanistan's largest ethnic group, while Abdullah derives his support from the ethnic Tajik and Hazara communities.

Independent Election Commission (IEC) spokesman Noor Mohammad said the "final result" would be announced on Sunday.

Fraud accusations engulfed the election count after polling in the June 14 run-off. Ghani and Abdullah had emerged as finishers in April's first round.

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Afghanistan awaits promised deal, poll results

Massoud: Afghanistan`s National Hero With Shafie Ayar ( , ) – Video


Massoud: Afghanistan`s National Hero With Shafie Ayar ( , )
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By: Ariana Panjshir Bactria

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Massoud: Afghanistan`s National Hero With Shafie Ayar ( , ) - Video

Afghanistan today suicide bomber – Video


Afghanistan today suicide bomber
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By: Faisal Mashraf Faisal Mashraf

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Afghanistan today suicide bomber - Video

Hong Kong 1-0 Afghanistan| 1st half| 2014 Asian Games Men Soccer Group – Video


Hong Kong 1-0 Afghanistan| 1st half| 2014 Asian Games Men Soccer Group
1-0 ||2014 1-0 | | 2014 .

By: footballababy

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Hong Kong 1-0 Afghanistan| 1st half| 2014 Asian Games Men Soccer Group - Video