(VOVworld) – Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah claimed victory on Tuesday in Afghanistan’s controversial presidential election, rejecting preliminary results that gave the lead to his rival Ashraf Ghani.

Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah (Photo: Reuters)

Abdulloah, who was nce Afghanistan’s foreign minister, told supporters in Kabul that he will fight on to win the presidency and urged them to be patient. He said he will not accept the preliminary results announced on Monday, which he called illegal due to vote rigging. Abdullah called for a unified country to face a difficult power transition with President Hamid Karzai leaving office after 13 years and 50,000 US troops winding down their struggle against Taliban insurgents.