Afghan President Hamid Karzai leads in the country's presidential race, but not by enough to win an outright majority in the August 20th election and avoid a second round, a poll released today shows.
The poll, by the US-funded International Republican Institute, showed Mr Karzai winning 44 per cent of the vote, with his main challenger, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, winning 26 per cent.
Ramazan Bashardost, a former planning minister and member of the Hazara ethnic minority whose office is in a tent opposite parliament, would secure 10 per cent of the vote, while former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani wins 6 per cent.
The survey of 2,400 Afghan adults was carried out from July 16th-26th. Its results are broadly in line with another poll earlier this week by a different US-funded organisation.
Mr Karzai, who has run Afghanistan since Taliban militants were ousted from power in 2001, easily won Afghanistan's first democratic presidential election in 2004, but faces a stronger challenge this year from Mr Abdullah.
The challengers, an eye doctor, has roots in a northern, mainly Tajik guerrilla movement but is seeking to broaden his base to attract southern voters.
Reuters