Afghan President Appears to Win New Term in Initial Results

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani appears to have won a narrow re-election victory in September's balloting.

The head of the election commission says preliminary results show Ghani got 50.64% of the vote.

Although Ghani claims victory, his main challenger and rival Abdullah Abdullah rejects the outcome as fraudulent. Results from the Sept. 28 election were delayed amid accusations of misconduct and technical problems with the count.

If the outcome stands, it could give Ghani the authority he has sought to demand a leading role in peace talks with the Taliban.

In a speech later Sunday, Ghani vowed to unite the country.