Afghanistan to hold election run-off

Exactly two months after polls that Karzai had been expected to win easily, the election commission confirmed he fell fractionally short of the 50 percent needed to avoid a run-off against main rival Abdullah Abdullah, AFP reported.

Led by the United States, Afghanistan's foreign allies welcomed the move as an opportunity to lift the country out of political chaos and help stabilise a nation blighted by an escalating Taliban insurgency.

"The election has gone to a second round. On November 7 it will be re-held," said Noor Mohammad Noor, spokesman for the commission. Profile: Hamid Karzai

Karzai confirmed at a news conference that he would take part, calling it a "step forward for democracy".

He spoke alongside UN envoy Kai Eide and US Senator John Kerry, whose presence underscored intensive Western lobbying of Karzai to resolve the weeks of political paralysis.

Karzai also urged the international community to help ensure the second round can pass off peacefully, with 100,000 US and NATO troops fighting record levels of Taliban violence, eight years after their regime was toppled.

"People need to cast their votes free of any security threats so that by the power of their ballots and votes they can build this country," he said.

Abdullah welcomed the run-off, saying in a BBC interview it helped move the democratic process forward.