Afghanistan's historic election was plunged into crisis yesterday after 15 of the 18 key candidates claimed fraud and demanded voting be stopped, casting a pall over the enthusiasm of voters who turned out in force across the troubled country.

Key contenders running against interim Afghan leader Hamid Karzai called for the boycott of Afghanistan's historic election yesterday during polling claiming

widespread fraud over the ink meant to keep people from repeat voting.

The opposition candidates said they would not recognise the results of the vote because of what election officials described as a mix-up. The officials had said workers at a few voting stations mistakenly swapped the permanent ink meant to mark people's thumbs with normal ink meant for ballots, but insisted the problem was caught quickly.

There was no immediate com-

ment from Karzai, who had voted in Kabul and even rubbed his thumb to show reporters the ink didn't rub off.

An aide to Yunus Qanooni, the main challenger to President Hamid Karzai, said the opposition candidate was demanding a suspension of the first Afghan exercise in democracy for decades to prevent further fraud.

Another challenger, Abdul Satar Sirat, said 14 candidates including Qanooni called for a halt following

FROM PAGE 12

an early morning hitch when it appeared the ink meant to prevent multiple voting could be rubbed out.

"We want the elections to be reheld as soon as possible in a fair, transparent manner and without interference," said Abdul Satar Serat, one of the candidates.

"Any government that comes to power as a result of today's election has no credibility, no validity and is illegitimate for us."

Election officials nevertheless refused to halt the process, which appeared to have gone smoothly across the rugged Islamic nation despite fears that many Afghans would be too afraid to participate. (AFP, AP, Reuters)