Afghanistan is headed toward a second round of voting in its disputed presidential elections. On Tuesday, Afghan President Hamid Karzai bowed to US pressure and accepted a UN panel’s findings that his August election victory was tainted by widespread fraud.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai: “The Independent Election Commission announced the second round of the election. We believe that this decision of the IEC is legitimate, legal and constitutional and that it strengthens the path towards democracy, and it is for the benefit of our nation.”

Karzai’s chief rival, Abdullah Abdullah, praised the decision. The two will face off in a runoff vote next month. Karzai made the announcement after an intense round of meetings with a US delegation including Democratic Senator John Kerry.

Democratic Senator John Kerry: “President Karzai himself had serious questions about the process, but today he showed statesmanship by deciding to move forward and to strengthen the country by embracing the constitution and the rule of law.”

Back in Washington, President Obama also praised Karzai’s acknowledgment of election fraud.

President Obama: “President Karzai as well as the other candidates, I think, have shown that they have the interests of the Afghan people at heart, that this is a reflection of a commitment to rule of law and an insistence that the Afghan people’s will should be done.”