By Matthew Champion.

Barack Obama’s most senior diplomat in Afghanistan has shared "sharp exchanges" with the country’s president over alleged fraud in last week’s elections.

Diplomatic sources have indicated that when Richard Holbrooke complained about widespread election fraud to Hamid Karzai the Afghan president reacted angrily, deteriorating into a shouting match that the US envoy stormed out from.

A senior US official told CNN there had been a "back and forth".

"It was a difficult meeting and there were some sharp exchanges in it," a White House official elaborated.

"The thrust of the meeting was to respect the electoral process, let it take its course and be patient and to respect the results, whatever they are."

Mr Holbrooke is believed to have complained over the use of fraud by My Karzai and his campaign team, as well as by is rival candidates.

But it has been denied that he demanded a second-run off, which would be triggered if no candidate obtained 50 per cent of the vote.

President Karzai has been given a narrow win over his nearest challenger Abdullah Abdullah, his former foreign minister, in unofficial counts.

Mr Abdullah has laid the blame of alleged fraud squarely on Mr Karzai’s door.

Final results in the elections are expected mid-September, with any run-off taking place the following month.

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