Karzai Agrees to Runoff

Afghan President Hamid Karzai appeared to concede on heavy international pressure on Tuesday by agreeing to a runoff election after an international audit stripped him of a third of his votes and lowered his total to below 50 percent. It may not be possible, however, to hold a new election until the spring—a problem because the Obama administration’s decision on increasing troop levels depends on resolving the election’s outcome. The New York Times notes that some administration officials are pushing Karzai and his main rival, Abdullah Abdullah, to form a coalition government.