KABUL, August 21 (RIA Novosti) - Spokesmen for incumbent President Hamid Karzai and ex-premier Abdullah Abdullah have both said their candidate won an outright majority in Thursday's presidential polls, national media said on Friday.
However, the first official results will not be known until early September and Afghan election officials have warned against predicting the results.
If none of the 30 presidential candidates secures 50% of the vote, a run-off will be held in October.
The UN Security Council on Friday congratulated Afghanistan on holding the elections, which went ahead despite a series of terrorist acts throughout the country.
"The members of the Security Council welcome the holding of the presidential and provincial council elections in Afghanistan," the council's statement said. It also congratulated "the people of Afghanistan on their participation."
Karzai said more than 70 militant attacks occurred in almost half of the country's provinces during the polls.
UN Security General Ban Ki-moon also hailed the elections, saying in a statement on Thursday that, "By exercising their constitutional right to vote, the Afghan people have demonstrated again their desire for stability and development in their country."
Washington also congratulated Afghanistan on holding the elections, the second presidential polls since a U.S.-led force ousted the Taliban in 2001
Russia also praised the Afghan government and international organizations for their work during the elections.
"The activities of the Afghan government and the international organizations that participated in the preparations for the elections, first and foremost the UN, deserve the highest praise," a Russian Foreign Ministry statement read.
