WASHINGTON, US (AFP) - President Barack Obama spoke Sunday with the US ambassador to Kabul about the country's recent election and the administration's review of US strategy in the region, the White House said.

Obama talked by phone with Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, a former top military commander in Afghanistan, after several days of consultations with lawmakers and experts about ways to combat the Taliban insurgency.

"The president thanked Ambassador Eikenberry for his work, and for his participation in the ongoing review of strategy toward Afghanistan," the White House said in a statement.

"The president received an update on the Afghan elections, and reiterated the importance of Ambassador Eikenberry and his team to ensuring the implementation of a comprehensive strategy in Afghanistan, that includes both military and civilian components, and working with our Afghan partners."

The US top military commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, is widely believed to be seeking up to 40,000 more troops for the conflict.

Earlier Sunday, the UN special representative to Afghanistan Kai Eide acknowledged for the first time that the country's presidential election had been tainted by "significant" and "widespread" fraud.

The elections, held on August 20, have been overshadowed by the fraud allegations, mostly aimed at President Hamid Karzai.