Nov. 2 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama’s administration views Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai as the “legitimate leader” of the country, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said.

Obama is calling Karzai today, Gibbs said.

Afghanistan’s election commission canceled a scheduled Nov. 7 runoff between Karzai and former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah after Abdullah dropped out. The first round of voting in August was marred by fraud and the election dispute has complicated Obama’s review of U.S. strategy in Afghanistan.

Gibbs said the president will make a decision in the “next few weeks” about the future course in Afghanistan, including whether to send more American troops to fight in the war, now in its eighth year.

Administration officials have said having a credible government in Afghanistan is crucial to the success of U.S. efforts to stabilize the country and defeat extremists.

Karzai is “the legitimate leader of the country,” Gibbs said in response to reporters’ questions. The administration will “continue conversations about governance, civil society and corruption going forward to ensure that we have a credible partner in our efforts to help secure the country.”

Corruption Concern

Karzai will have to address corruption in his government and the U.S. must make sure development aid gets to areas of the country most in need, Gibbs said.

Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission declared Karzai the winner of the election. Abdullah withdrew from the runoff yesterday, saying a “free and fair” vote in the planned Nov. 7 ballot wouldn’t be possible.

The U.S. has committed 68,000 troops to the Afghanistan conflict and Obama is weighing whether to send as many as 40,000 more. The administration also is pressing other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to put more resources into the fight.

Obama has been meeting with his top military and foreign policy advisers to discuss options for Afghanistan and a set of recommendations made by General Stanley McChrystal, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces there.

To contact the reporters on this story: Roger Runningen in Washington at rrunningen@bloomberg.net; Nicholas Johnston in Washington at njohnston3@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: November 2, 2009 13:34 EST