Karzai elected as Afghan leader

Delegates walk toward the loya jirga tent

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Hamid Karzai has been elected to a two-year term as Afghanistan's head of state.

Karzai, who has led the country as interim government chairman since December, won by an overwhelming margin.

Of the roughly 1,600 members of the loya jirga who voted, Karzai got 1,295 votes. The announcement of his victory was greeted with applause.

Dr. Massouda Jalal, the second-place candidate, received 171 votes, while Dr. Mahsfuz Medai followed with 89 in the country's first vote for president since it gained independence in 1919.

CNN NewsPass VIDEO CNN's Gary Tuchman reports on the election of Afghanistan interim leader Hamid Karzai to a two-year term as president (June 13) Play video   AUDIO CNN's Gary Tuchman reports how a group of armed men tried to disrupt the second day of Afghanistan's historic loya jirga 1.83MB / 2:54 min WAV sound   LOYA JIRGA Focus: A very Afghan gathering  Profile: Key players

The ballots had pictures on them, since some of the delegates cannot read, as about 85 percent of the country's 22 million people are illiterate.

In a speech after the tally was announced, Karzai thanked the delegates for his victory. "I thank God for the liberation and the independence of Afghanistan," he said.

Some critics have questioned the way the delegates were selected, and have accused some of them of accepting bribes or yielding to intimidation to support Karzai, who is seen as the American candidate. A countrywide vote is to be held in two years.

The U.S. State Department was quick to weigh in. "We congratulate Mr. Karzai; we congratulate the Afghan people," said spokesman Phil Reeker.

Noting the close relationship the United States has had with Karzai, Reeker said, "We would expect to continue that close cooperation as the entire international community works with Afghanistan's own indigenous authorities to help reconstruct and rebuild the institutions that are so important to the Afghan people."

In his address to the assembly prior to the final vote, Karzai promised that terrorism would never be allowed to dominate Afghanistan again.

"The terrorists -- the people who who were against our country, who didn't respect Afghanistan, who made our women and our men suffer, our homes, our gardens, our land -- these people we will never allow to return," he said.

He told the delegates, "I am very proud, I am very happy that after many long years of suffering Afghanistan has again become the home of Afghans. Today everyone is sitting under one roof in one tent, the former king has come back and so have the refugees."

Karzai said the challenge now is to spend aid funds in the best possible way.

"When it comes to the reconstruction program, the most important thing is that we should spend the billions of dollars which are coming into Afghanistan very carefully and honestly. Not one cent should be lost."

Leading up the presidential vote, Afghanistan's former king, Zaher Shah, 87, threw his support behind Karzai.

Burhanuddin Rabbani, Afghanistan's former president, withdrew his candidacy and also backed Karzai.

But Rabbani will be granted governmental influence and power in return for giving up his candidacy, sources said. He will be able to help decide on Cabinet members and other key posts.

Many warlords had pressed for the former monarch to be a candidate, and warned there could be bloodshed if he did not win.