UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council is calling on Afghan President Hamid Karzai to fight corruption, after he was declared the victor in the nation's disputed election.
The Council "acknowledged" rather than welcomed the results of the vote. Karzai's challenger, Abdullah Abdullah withdrew from runoff elections, claiming there couldn't be a free and fair ballot.
On Wednesday, Abdullah called Karzai's win illegal and said his government is a failure.
After a closed-door meeting with the Security Council following his trip to Afghanistan, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said it's "obvious that the political situation remains delicate" there and says the elections were "seriously flawed."
The Security Council, however, said it's looking forward to working with Karzai and urged him to fight corruption and the drug trade.
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<<APPHOTO KAB105 (11/02/09)>>
: U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, left, listens to Afghan President Hamid Karzai during a meeting at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Nov. 2, 2009. The U.N. chief made a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Monday as international pressure mounted for a quick resolution to the country's electoral turmoil following the withdrawal of Karzai's only challenger.
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