Nor would it be possible to hold a credible poll under the auspices of the current IEC, which proved itself to be anything but independent in the presidential one.Mr Karzai has so far praised the IEC and reserved his own criticism for the independent foreign officials who made a fuss about mass fraud.
His attorney general has threatened to investigate the IEC, alleging that its members were bribed.
On election day the chief of the Independent Election Commission (IEC) in Helmand, Abdul Hadee, estimated turnout in the province at under 10%.
Dr Abdullah has promised to place his faith in the IEC and the Complaints Commission, and not to send his supporters onto the streets.
Mr Hadee, the IEC official, now says that turnout in Helmand was 25%.
These involve Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission (IEC), under the orders of the foreign-controlled Election Complaints Commission (ECC).
Sensible and simple innovations have been introduced, including sticking plastic sheets on completed result sheets in polling stations, to discourage tampering.The IEC is also wise to the jiggery-pokery that was perpetrated last time by unscrupulous data-entry staff in the national tally centre in Kabul.
At the very least a credible election would require the overhaul of a rotten system, and notably of the IEC, which proved far from independent last time.
The IEC has said polling can proceed, but only if it receives more money and polling-day security, both of which are in the gift of foreign powers.
Martine van Bijlert, of the Afghanistan Analysts Network, a think-tank, says that without big changes, voters will feel that the outcome will be determined not by their votes but by the IEC.
UN staff have called for hundreds of IEC officials, particularly those who turned a blind eye to fraud, to be sacked.
