KABUL: A ballot recount ordered by a UN-backed election body in Afghanistan would take one and a half months to complete, pushing back any second round of voting, a senior poll official said Saturday.

The Election Complaints Commission (ECC) has identified more than 2,500 polling stations out of 24,183 that opened on August 20 where "clear and convincing" indications of fraud mean an audit and recount is needed.

While auditing is underway, recounting has not yet started as the ECC locks horns with the government-appointed Independent Election Commission (IEC), which organised the election and has been accused of bias toward incumbent President Hamid Karzai.

"The concern we raised to the ECC decision is that it includes all 34 provinces, and it will take at least one-and-a-half months' time," Daoud Ali Najafi, IEC chief electoral officer, told AFP.

"That's too long and if we have a run-off, then it is too late," he said.

With all the votes counted, Karzai looks on track for re-election with nearly 55 percent of the vote while his nearest rival Abdullah Abdullah is trailing with 27.8 percent. Turnout was a meagre 38.7 percent.

But if a large number of ballots are thrown out by any ECC investigation, it could push Karzai's lead to below the required 50 percent plus one vote, triggering a run-off with Abdullah.

Any second round would have to be held within two months before harsh winter snows blanket parts of Afghanistan and make the logistics of another vote impossible until next spring.

Najafi said they were awaiting guidance from the ECC over the logistics of a recount, or if there was an alternative, such as auditing a sample of votes from suspicious polling stations.

"Still we need the ECC to tell us what to do," he said.

The ECC chairman was not immediately available for comment.

Afghans went to the polls on August 20 in only their second direct presidential election, but fraud concerns have marred the vote, with EU observers saying 1.5 million ballots, or nearly a quarter of the total valid votes, are "suspicious".