KABUL, Afghanistan - Ballot boxes poured into counting centers today for a tally of the disputed presidential election in Afghanistan.

This, amid signs an opposition boycott was wavering after at least two candidates agreed to accept the ruling of an independent panel's inquiry.

Election organizers hope their decision, announced late Sunday, to establish a panel of about three foreign election experts to investigate the balloting will end the boycott, which many fear could seriously undermine the winner's ability to rule this war-ravaged nation.

Election observers, the U.S. Embassy and U.S.-backed interim President Hamid Karzai have all sought to put the best face possible on Saturday's vote, noting that Taliban rebels were mostly silent and that turnout was high in a nation that has never before tasted democracy.

Before the tallying of votes can start, the numbers of received ballots are checked against a list of votes cast to ensure none of the ballot boxes have been stuffed with fraudulent votes, U.N. officials said.

Actual counting may not start until Wednesday or Thursday, said electoral spokesman Sultan Baheen. Aykut Tavsel, another electoral spokesman, said candidates have until Tuesday evening to file formal complaints and the commission does not want to start the count until after it has had a chance to review them.

Final results were not expected until the end of October.

The opposition complaint was focused on allegations that the supposedly indelible ink used to mark voters' thumbs in some polling stations could be rubbed off, allowing some people to vote more than once.