**Afghanistan’s election commission has released further results from the 20 August presidential poll, still showing the president in the lead.**It said the ballots from 47.8% of polling stations had now been counted.
President Hamid Karzai has gained 45.8% of the votes tallied, with his nearest rival Abdullah Abdullah at 33.2%, the independent commission said.
Final results will not be made official until major fraud allegations are investigated by election officials.
A candidate must win 50% of the votes cast to avoid a second round run-off which, if needed, would be held in October.
Earlier, the independent Electoral Complaints Commission said it would investigate 618 major allegations of vote fraud, deemed serious enough to affect the election’s outcome - if proven.
More than 2,000 allegations of fraud and intimidation have been made.