US warns against \\\'power grab\\\' in Afghan poll dispute

The US has warned against a power grab in Afghanistan, amid reports that a losing presidential-election candidate is planning a ‘parallel government’.US Secretary of State minister John Kerry said Afghanistan risked losing support to ‘take power by extra-legal means’. Presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah said he would not accept what he called a ‘fraudulent government’. He has contested results of the second round of elections, which gave a lead to his rival, Ashraf Ghani. Meanwhile, a bomb near Kabul has killed 16 people, including four Nato troops. Ten civilians and two police officers were also reportedly killed in the attack on a clinic near Bagram, home to the largest US base in the country. Abdullah is addressing a gathering in Kabul, where he has said he will never ‘accept a fraudulent government’. Preliminary results announced on Monday gave Mr Ghani 56.44% of votes in the 14 June run-off. Abdullah, who fell just short of an outright majority in the first round, had 43.56%. Both men have alleged fraud in the election. Votes are being re-checked at more than 7,000 polling stations. A BBC Persian correspondent at the meeting organised by Abdullah's supporters says an angry crowd tore down a poster of outgoing Afghan President Hamid Karzai, chanting, ‘Death to Karzai. Long Live Abdullah’, according to BBC.