(27 Mar 2014) Afghan presidential hopeful Zalmai Rassoul said on Thursday he won't challenge the results of next month's elections even if he suspects fraud and urged his opponents to do the same "for the sake of Afghanistan."
The former foreign minister warned that unless the elections, due to be held on April 5th, were "clean and clear," Afghanistan's next president would lack legitimacy and the country's democratic standing would be undermined.
Massive vote-tampering tainted the last presidential election in 2009.
Opponents worry Rassoul's close association with President Hamid Karzai could threaten the transparency of the election.
Karzai, who is barred from standing for election for a third time has said he will not back any one candidate.
But earlier this month presidential challenger Abdul Qayum Karzai, Karzai's elder brother, quit the presidential race and threw his weight behind Rassoul, a sign many say that he is President Karzai's favoured candidate.
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