Karzai vows end to warlords era

Mr Karzai was declared winner on Wednesday

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has vowed to crack down on warlords and their private militias after winning the country's landmark election.

He also said there would be no room for drug barons in his government.

Earlier, Mr Karzai's main rivals accepted his victory in the 9 October poll, after he was declared winner on Wednesday, with 55.4% of the vote.

Mr Karzai was congratulated on Thursday by US President George Bush, fresh from his own election victory.

Mr Bush said Afghanistan's first free election showed the country was "a beacon of hope in a troubled region of the world, and an example to other countries working to realize the promise of freedom".

There will definitely not be any drug thing in Afghanistan. We will be dedicated, strong, in working against that Hamid Karzai

Large numbers of Afghans turned out for the country's first presidential election, which was largely peaceful.

Acknowledging his victory for the first time on Thursday, Mr Karzai said: "My countrymen and women, thank you for the trust you have put in me."

"I hope I will fulfil the promises that I have done to you."

He went on to say the warlords and drug barons who flourished during decades of conflict in Afghanistan would find things harder now.

"There will not be any private militia forces," he said.

"There will definitely not be any drug thing in Afghanistan. We will be dedicated, strong, in working against that."

The announcement of Mr Karzai's win came after a panel probing voting irregularities said they would not affect the outcome.

'National interest'

Mr Karzai's main rival, Younis Qanuni, who finished second with 16% of the votes, said he would accept the result.

"For me, Afghanistan's national interest are the most important," Mr Qanuni told a joint press conference with several of Mr Karzai's rivals.

"If we didn't accept the result, the country would go toward a crisis."

Mr Qanuni said he still believed that the vote was marred by "well organised" fraud to help Mr Karzai.

Mohammed Mohaqeq, another rival and a leader of the ethnic Hazara community, and the running mate of the ethnic Uzbek leader and rival Abdul Rashid Dostum also said they would accept Mr Karzai as president.

Voting by province Profile: Hamid Karzai Vote for change

Mr Mohaqeq, who finished third, said he planned to accept the result formally after explaining his decision to his supporters.

Chafiga Habibi, Mr Dostum's vice-presidential candidate, said his camp would accept the result "for the sake of peace".

A three-member United Nations panel, set up to examine poll complaints, many made by candidates opposing Mr Karzai, has admitted there were some "shortcomings".

"... But they could not have materially affected the overall result," the panel said.

Most complaints centred on the supposedly indelible ink used to mark voters' thumbs to prevent people voting more than once on polling day.

In many places, voters were easily able to wash or scrub the ink off.

Analysts say President Karzai will try to use his new mandate to unite a country still riven by ethnic, religious, regional and tribal rivalries.

High on his agenda will be continued efforts to curb regional warlords, the realisation of an effective national security force and pursuing international aid pledges to maintain national redevelopment plans.