Fraud - Max Forte on Diigo

26 Dec 09

Should Afghanistan's next election be delayed? - AP

Afghan parliamentary elections for 2010

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Afghanistan elections corruption Karzai fraud NATO India intervention funding

DEB RIECHMANN and RAHIM FAIEZ, Associated Press
KABUL – Five months before parliamentary elections in Afghanistan, donor nations are worried about another messy vote and some international officials are even discussing whether the polls should be delayed.
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- After years of encouraging democracy, some Western nations find themselves in the uncomfortable position of wondering whether another round of voting will do more harm than good in the violence-wracked country.
- The parliamentary elections are due in May. Donor nations, including the U.S. and Britain, fear the upcoming vote could be a repeat of the August presidential election, which was rife with ballot-box stuffing and deadly violence, unless deep reforms are made to clean up the Afghan-run electoral process.
- Another flawed vote would erode the credibility of Afghan President Hamid Karzai's government at a time when he has pledged to battle corruption and improve services. Also, having to guard polling stations in May would be a distraction for the 30,000 U.S. reinforcements and thousands of other foreign troops recently deployed with orders to stall the Taliban's momentum and improve security so development can occur.
- Afghan officials will have the final say on whether to postpone the vote, but the international community holds the purse strings.
- "We are ready to carry out our duties. The only problem for us is money," said Noor Mohammad Noor, a spokesman for Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission. "That is up to the donor countries who are providing us the funds. We are waiting for a response from them next month."
- some Western diplomats are quietly hoping Afghan officials decide to delay the election, according to two international officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they want to avoid any appearance of meddling in Afghan politics.
- Countries providing troops and aid to Afghanistan are weighing their desire to support the war-wracked nation's fragile democracy with the risk of financing another fraud-marred election.
- "Before committing further funding and putting our troops and those of our international partners at risk, we need to be sure that the lessons learned have been implemented and that the elections will make a contribution to improving Afghan governance," she said.
- On the other hand, India insists the elections be held in May as required by the Afghan constitution.
  
  "There is no question of India's views on this. The constitution should be respected and the aspirations of Afghan people should be guarded," said J.P. Singh, a spokesman for the Indian Embassy in Kabul.
- "We have heard that there are problems with the funding," said Mohammad Aqbal Safi, a parliamentarian from Kapisa province in eastern Afghanistan. "This has created concerns among members of parliament because it is against the law not to hold the elections. And it has created concerns among the people who are not happy with the current members and want to elect somebody else."
- If there is no election, or it is delayed, the current parliament will be criticized as illegal, he said.
- Peter Galbraith, the former the top-ranking American in the U.N. mission in Kabul, said unless the nation's electoral institutions are completely revamped, the parliamentary elections will be as fraudulent at the presidential ballot.
- "This will undermine the fading confidence of Afghans in democracy and will further diminish the already low credibility of Karzai's government," said Galbraith, who was fired in September after claiming that Kai Eide, the head of the U.N. mission, was not bullish enough in preventing fraud in the presidential election.
- but having them on schedule will not make them free and fair, which is also required by the constitution

03 Nov 09

Source: Abdullah may pull out of Afghan runoff - AP

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Afghanistan election fraud runoff Karzai Abdullah

UNITED NATIONS – Talks between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and challenger Abdullah Abdullah have broken down, and Abdullah is likely to pull out of next week's presidential runoff, a person with knowledge of the talks said Friday.
Abdullah, who was once Karzai's foreign minister, put forward several conditions earlier this week for the Nov. 7 election to be credible, but intensive talks between the two candidates and their supporters over the past few days broke down Friday, the person, a Westerner, said on condition of anonymity because the discussions were private.
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- Abdullah complained Monday that there were no assurances that the November vote would be fairer than the first balloting. The story was first reported by CNN.
- One of Abdullah's demands was to fire the head of the Karzai-appointed Independent Election Commission, Azizullah Lodin, within five days.

31 Oct 09

In Afghanistan runoff, more polling stations may mean more fraud | csmonitor.com

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Afghanistan election IEC fraud security Karzai UN Galbraith

With less than half as many election workers in Afghanistan's second round of voting, it may be even easier for "ghost" stations
to submit fake votes.
By Ben Arnoldy
| Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

from the October 29, 2009 edition
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- New Delhi - Despite having fewer poll workers and a declining security situation, Afghanistan's election commission announced Thursday
  it would increase the number of polling centers for the presidential runoff.
- The first round of voting, on Aug. 20, saw between 6,167 and 6,306 centers open. For the Nov. 7 runoff the Independent Election
  Commission says it will open 6,322.
- The decision comes as a surprise since a number of "ghost" polling centers were never
  opened to the public or to monitors, yet sent fraudulent voter tallies back to Kabul.
- President Hamid Karzai's runoff rival, Abdullah Abdullah, has unsuccessfully called on the IEC to provide a list of ghost
  stations and remove them from the ranks of runoff centers.
- When it comes to the credibility of the result, the decision may indicate that the IEC is more concerned about turnout than
  Abdullah quitting or fraud reoccurring.
- IEC, and some its own workers were judged by an independent complaints panel to have helped Karzai during the election.
- Peter Galbraith, an American who was fired from the panel after complaining that it had covered up fraud, slammed the IEC
  in an opinion piece in the New York Times this week. "The United Nations must stop pretending that the commission is anything
  other than a pro-Karzai institution," he wrote.
- Some view the IEC decision in stark terms: "This is to enable them to fill up the boxes with fake ballots as much as they
  want," says Fahim Dashty, editor of the Kabul Weekly newspaper.
- There will, in fact, be fewer poll workers: 60,000, compared to 165,000 in the first round.
- The Taliban, however, pulled off hundreds of attacks across Afghanistan on Aug. 20 – with fewer centers as targets and more time for NATO and Afghan forces to prepare. And the
  security environment has not showed signs of improvement, as highlighted by a deadly attack on UN workers in the heart of
  Kabul Wednesday.

Rejecting U.N. advice, Afghan panel to open 6,300 polls in runoff - washingtonpost.com

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Afghanistan election runoff fraud UN IEC

Officials to open more polling stations than experts think is safe
By Pamela Constable

Friday, October 30, 2009
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- KABUL -- Rejecting advice from U.N. officials, Afghanistan's election commission announced Thursday that it would open more than 6,300 polling centers for the upcoming runoff vote, far more than international experts here say can be adequately protected and monitored.
- The announcement surprised U.N. officials, who had recommended that only about 5,800 voting centers be opened because of the danger of insurgent attacks in some areas, the likelihood of fraud in others and the short time available to prepare and staff the Nov. 7 presidential election.
- did not say how they would be able to staff all of them and still fulfill their pledge to get rid of hundreds of polling officials accused of fraud in the original Aug. 20 election.
- The election panel said it would close 11 voting stations in five provinces because they were vulnerable to insurgent attacks or because of approaching winter weather in mountainous regions.
- U.N. sources, however, suggested that the commissioners might be adding stations to maximize votes for Karzai, who appointed them. This dispute threatens to revive the tensions that erupted in September between the Afghan election panel and a U.N.-appointed commission that oversaw the investigation into fraud in the first round of balloting.
- Early Wednesday, a heavily armed Taliban suicide squad invaded a U.N. guesthouse in Kabul, killing five international staffers and three Afghans before the attackers were killed by Afghan security forces.
- The apparent target of the attack was a group of U.N. election workers who were staying in the house, and Taliban officials warned that they would carry out further attacks to disrupt the poll.
- Nevertheless, with the runoff only nine days away, most foreign U.N. staffers have been confined to their lodgings, costing them valuable time. Officials said that restriction will remain in effect for several days. Moreover, about 20 election workers who survived the attack, including some who were injured, are being flown out of the country Friday.
- "Our election support operations are still going on, but for all the U.N. agencies here, it is definitely not business as usual," said Dan McNorton, a spokesman for the U.N. mission.

24 Oct 09

Taliban call for Afghans to boycott runoff poll - AP

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Afghanistan election runoff fraud IEC Taliban

Taliban militants threatened Afghans with violence Saturday if they vote in the Nov. 7 runoff presidential election, as President Hamid Karzai's campaign ruled out any power-sharing deal to avoid another ballot.
Supporters of Karzai's challenger, meanwhile, urged the country's top three election officials to step down — alleging they were involved in rigging the first round of fraud-marred voting in August and should not be responsible for organizing the upcoming vote.
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- They said fighters would "launch operations against the enemy and stop people from taking part" in the election, warning that anyone who casts a ballot "will bear responsibility for their actions."
- American commanders say the Afghans will bear the primary responsibility, with U.S. and NATO forces advising and standing by in case they're needed.
- Taliban threats kept thousands of people at home in August, helping push turnout below 40 percent. Officials fear even lower turnout this time, raising questions about the new president's mandate no matter who wins.
- "We're sure that the elections will take place successfully, but because of the Taliban threats a minority of the people will go out and vote," said Abdul Hadi, election chief in Helmand province, where Taliban influence is strong. "I ask the people to participate at the elections."
- Some Obama administration officials had hoped Karzai and Abdullah could cut a power-sharing deal to avoid a costly and risky runoff, although such talk has faded in recent days.
- Senior Abdullah campaign officials on Saturday accused the top three members of Afghan commission of bias and complicity in fraud, saying they should be replaced to ensure the upcoming runoff is fair.
  
  They singled out election commission chairman Azizullah Lodin, chief electoral officer Daoud Ali Najafi and the commission's deputy director, Zekria Barakzai. Abdullah's running mate, Homayoun Assefy, said the three were "openly working for Mr. Karzai" and should resign.
- "It is impossible. Everything has been set up already according to the constitution, according to electoral law, and they will continue their work," Noor told The Associated Press. "Karzai doesn't have the right to replace them, and neither does Abdullah."
- Also Saturday, NATO announced that two Americans and one service member whose nationality was withheld were killed in separate bombings in the south. That brought to 32 the number of U.S. troops killed this month,
- Meanwhile, U.S. and Afghan officials said American troops killed four civilians when they fired on a van approaching their convoy on the main highway in southern Kandahar province. The dead included two women and one child, Kandahar's governor said in a statement. Four others were wounded.
- The troops "tried repeatedly to signal the fast-approaching vehicle with passive measures, but fearing for their safety, fired on the vehicle," said U.S. military spokesman Lt. j.g. Tommy Groves.

22 Oct 09

Election officials deliver Afghan runoff ballots - AP

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Afghanistan election runoff fraud

Election authorities in Afghanistan began delivering ballots with U.N. assistance across Afghanistan on Thursday, as hurried preparations for the Nov. 7 runoff in the insurgency-plagued nation's presidential election got under way.
Scores of election staff accused of misconduct have been axed, and new personnel need to be hired.
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- U.N. planes were providing logistic support to the country's Independent Election Commission, or IEC, flying ballots and voting kits and to provincial capitals, from where they will be delivered by electoral officials to thousands of polling stations by truck, helicopter and donkey, U.N. spokesman Dan McNorton said.
- The IEC, the body that runs the elections, is dominated by Karzai supporters. It is under huge pressure to avoid a repeat of the massive fraud that marred the first voting, which discredited the government and threatened to undermine public support for the war in the United States and European countries that provide most of the 100,000 NATO-led troops serving in Afghanistan.
  - "Threatened to undermine"? AP seems unaware of the growing mass of public criticism and opposition, or diminishes it by using this softening expression. - on 2009-10-22
  Add Sticky Note
- The Washington, D.C.-based International Republican Institute said that insecurity, ballot-box stuffing and the misuse of state resources for campaigning must be addressed in order for the poll to be credible.
- Another major U.S.-based monitor, the National Democratic Institute, said more Afghan police and army troops would be needed this time around. The group said that to eliminate so-called "ghost" polling stations, no ballots should be sent to polling centers that are not secured by Afghan security forces and adequately staffed by the IEC.
- It also said "polling centers that experienced fraud during the Aug. 20 election should receive targeted IEC scrutiny on election day and during the counting process."
- officials will cut about 7,000 of the 24,000 polling stations which they set up for the August ballot
- About 200 of the 2,950 district election coordinators will be replaced following complaints of misconduct leveled by candidates or observers, the U.N. said
- Finding replacements for coordinators and poll workers implicated in fraud will be difficult, especially in a country where more than 70 percent of the population is illiterate. The government had to scramble this summer to recruit enough election officials and poll workers, especially at voting stations reserved for women.
- "Hopefully getting through the elections in the next couple of weeks, we'll be able to have a level of legitimacy that we can use to deal with this government," he said in a meeting with hundreds of solders at the U.S. military headquarters in Seoul, South Korea. "Because without that, I believe we can't succeed."
- U.S. forces said one of their troops died of wounds sustained in a bomb attack in the south on Wednesday. The death brings the total number of Americans killed in the conflict in October to at least 31.

21 Oct 09

Obama troop plan hangs in balance as Afghan vote set - Reuters

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Afghanistan election runoff fraud Kerry Ban_Ki_Moon UN Gates Clinton Obama

WASHINGTON (Reuters) –
President Barack Obama has yet to decide whether to wait until after an Afghan election run-off on Nov. 7 before announcing his much-anticipated new war strategy for Afghanistan, the White House said on Tuesday.
Karzai had been under intense U.S. pressure to accept a run-off against his main rival, former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, so that Washington would not be left without a legitimate governing partner in Kabul in the 8-year-old war.
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- "While this election could have remained unresolved to the detriment of the country, President Karzai's constructive actions established an important precedent for Afghanistan's new democracy," Obama said in a statement.
- With Obama's critics accusing him of dithering, the administration has sent mixed signals about the likely timing of Obama's decision, considered crucial because of the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan.
- Defense Secretary Robert Gates said earlier on Tuesday, before Karzai's announcement, that the United States could not wait for problems surrounding the legitimacy of the Afghan government to be resolved before making a decision on troops.
- But on Sunday, Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said the administration must first ensure it has a credible partner in the Afghan government before deciding on troop levels.
- Obama is under pressure from Republican opponents who argue that his painstaking review undermines the war effort. The White House has dismissed such suggestions.
- But some analysts say Karzai's consent to a second-round vote could make it easier for Obama should he decide on more troops. If Karzai had refused, Obama could have been accused of propping up a leader lacking legitimacy.

Afghans race to organize Karzai-Abdullah runoff - AP

"Afghans race to organize Karzai-Abdullah runoff"

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Afghanistan election runoff fraud Kerry Ban_Ki_Moon UN Gates Clinton Obama

KABUL – Facing Taliban threats and approaching winter snows, Afghan election officials must now scramble to organize a runoff presidential election on Nov. 7 after a grim President Hamid Karzai bowed to intense U.S. pressure and acknowledged that he fell short of a first-round victory.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said it will be a "huge challenge" to pull off new balloting without repeating the widespread fraud that caused U.N.-backed investigators to strip Karzai of nearly a third of his votes from the Aug. 20 first-round election.
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- new balloting carries with it the risk of low turnout or another round of wholesale ballot-stuffing and voter intimidation.
- If the election goes relatively well, it's unclear that a second-round win by Karzai, widely considered the favorite over former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, would erase the stain brought on his leadership by widespread fraud in the first balloting Aug. 20.
- Karzai, standing alongside Sen. John Kerry and U.N. mission chief Kai Eide, said he welcomed the runoff. He called the decision to hold a second round "legitimate, legal and according to the constitution of Afghanistan."
- But Karzai did not express regret over massive fraud — most of it on his behalf — uncovered by U.N.-backed investigators after the first election.
- Agreement came at the end of a day of intensive talks between Karzai and Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He praised the Afghan leader for "genuine leadership in the decision he has made today." The two men met at least four times before the announcement.
- An Afghan who is close to Karzai told The Associated Press that both Kerry and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had made clear that the United States and its international partners could not accept the results of an election that was so tainted by fraud.
- Karzai supporters had complained of interference by foreigners, especially those on the U.N.-backed panel, which investigated and reported the fraud.
- "President Karzai really deeply believes he had won the election and ... that the international community was kind of conspiring to push for a different outcome," Kerry said in a telephone interview from Dubai. "He had people within his government, people within the election commission who felt they were being insulted about putting together a faulty election process."
- "There were a lot of very deep feelings about Afghanistan's right to run its election, its competency in running it and so forth," Kerry continued.
- In Washington, President Barack Obama welcomed Karzai's decision, saying it offers new hope for a credible government in Kabul as the U.S. and NATO fight Taliban insurgents and al-Qaida. U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, however, sounded more pessimistic.
- "But I think we need to be realistic that the issues of corruption and governance that we are trying to work with the Afghan government on are not going to be solved simply on the outcome of the presidential election."
- Abdullah, an ophthalmologist, was a close ally of legendary anti-Taliban commander Ahmed Shah Massoud, who was assassinated shortly before the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the U.S. He became spokesman of the government that replaced the Taliban and later served as Karzai's foreign minister.
- Among other things, officials must replace at least 200 district election officials linked to the Aug. 20 abuses.
- In New York, Ban said the United Nations would try to make sure the Nov. 7 runoff occurs in a "free, fair, transparent and secure environment."
  
  "The United Nations will ensure to provide more necessary technical assistance," he said.

19 Oct 09

Afghan fraud panel voids thousands of Karzai votes - AP

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Afghanistan election Karzai fraud Obama surge IEC ECC runoff

Fraud investigators threw out hundreds of thousands of votes for President Hamid Karzai in the country's disputed August election, according to a report released Monday. The findings set the stage for a runoff between him and his top challenger.
It was unclear, however, whether the Independent Election Commission would accept the findings of the U.N.-backed fraud panel and announce a runoff. Karzai's spokesman said it was too soon to make a judgment based on the figures released by the panel.
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- Two international officials familiar with the investigation told The Associated Press that the findings showed Karzai falling below the 50 percent threshold needed to avoid a runoff with his chief rival, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah.
- "I don't think we can make any judgment based on the figures announced today," Karzai campaign spokesman Waheed Omar said.
- That has raised fears that the Karzai-influenced election commission may refuse to call for a runoff — further delaying formation of a government that the U.S. believes is needed to help combat the growing Taliban insurgency.
- A protracted crisis could also lead to political unrest. Hundreds of Karzai supporters protested in the south over the weekend, calling for the electoral commission to release results quickly and saying they will reject a second round.
- Ali Shah Khan, a tribal leader from the area, said the protesters believed the August vote was fair and that foreigners were delaying the results to unseat Karzai.
  
  "We know they don't want President Karzai because he is a strong leader and he is working only for the people of Afghanistan," Khan said. "The foreign countries want a weak leader for Afghanistan. After that they can do whatever they want."
- The White House says President Barack Obama will not send more U.S. troops until a credible government is in place.
- Abdullah campaign spokesman Fazel Sancharaki said the U.N.-backed panel "is under threat" from Karzai. He alleged the president was urging the election commission not to accept the results of the fraud probe.
  
  "He's telling them not to accept the findings if they show less than 50 percent for him. That's why the IEC is not accepting the final report," he said. "There is no end to this misery. Negotiations are still going on, but there is no agreement."
- On Monday, Taliban militants set fire to 15 trucks carrying supplies to a military base in eastern Ghazni province, according to local official Sahib Khan. Afghan security guards killed two militants during the fighting.

18 Oct 09

France to Afghan rivals: Accept election results - AP

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Afghanistan election fraud runoff IEC ECC Kouchner Clinton Ban_Ki_Moon Kerry Karzai

TODD PITMAN and HEIDI VOGT, Associated Press Writers Todd Pitman And Heidi Vogt, Associated Press Writers

–
Sun Oct 18
France's foreign minister urged Afghanistan's political rivals Sunday to accept the findings of a fraud investigation that could force a runoff vote in the country's disputed presidential election.
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- A U.N.-backed panel investigating fraud claims was due to issue findings last week, but the announcement has been repeatedly delayed.
- As reports made a runoff sound increasingly likely, a flurry of diplomats and dignitaries have called or visited Karzai. People familiar with the talks said they pressed Karzai to accept rulings mandating a runoff, but that the president refused to make any such commitment until the fraud decisions were announced.
- Top challenger Abdullah Abdullah has said he has faith in the process, but he also will wait to see the figures before commenting.
- Both Karzai and Abdullah say they expect the panel to rule in their favor.
- The fraud panel's rulings have been delayed by two days of discussions with Afghan election officials to clarify the methods used to decide which votes were fraudulent, according to several people familiar with the meetings.
- The prolonged debate raises questions about the willingness of the Independent Election Commission, whose officers are appointed by Karzai, to accept a result that will reportedly require a runoff.
- Afghan law declares the U.N.-dominated Electoral Complaints Commission the final arbiter on fraud allegations. However, members of the Independent Election Commission, which has the authority to order a runoff, have argued that some of the investigations are outside the normal complaint process and that the fraud panel does not have the final say.
- threatens the legitimacy of the Afghan government and the future of the U.S.-led military mission
- The U.S. effort is already troubled by a spike in deaths that has damaged public support for the war at home. In the latest violence, an American service member was killed by a bomb attack in the south Sunday, the military reported.
- Fearing the political crisis will worsen, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown telephoned both Karzai and Abdullah in recent days to express concern.
- U.S. Sen. John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
- "I don't see how President Obama can make a decision about the committing of our additional forces or even the further fulfillment of our mission that's here today without an adequate government in place or knowledge about what that government's going to be," he told CBS.

17 Oct 09

Afghan president under pressure over fraud rulings - AP

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Afghanistan election fraud runoff recount results Karzai Abdullah Kerry NATO casualties

Afghanistan's election crisis deepened Saturday as President Hamid Karzai resisted international pressure to accept fraud rulings that could force him into a runoff with his main challenger.
Three more American service members were reported killed in separate bombings as the U.S. and its international partners sought a way out of Afghanistan's political impasse, a crisis that threatens the legitimacy of the Afghan government and the future of the U.S.-led military mission.
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- Announcement of the commission's findings was delayed as commission members spent Saturday in meetings with Afghan election officials and double-checking calculations, according to people familiar with the talks.
- Karzai has refused to commit to accepting the panel's findings before they're released, even though his campaign staff has expressed confidence that the president will remain above 50 percent, eliminating the need for a runoff.
- Karzai's stand has raised concern that he may challenge the findings, further delaying proclamation of a winner or the scheduling a runoff.
- Afghan law declares the U.N.-dominated Electoral Complaints Commission the final arbiter on fraud allegations. However, Karzai supporters on the separate Independent Election Commission, which must order a runoff, have argued that the partial recount is beyond the normal complaint process and that the U.N.-backed panel does not have the final say.
- Fearing the political crisis will worsen, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown have telephoned both Karzai and Abdullah in recent days to express concern over the impasse.
- French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner; U.S. Sen. John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, were all in Kabul on Saturday for talks with Afghan leaders.
- A NATO statement said two U.S. troops died Friday in a bombing in eastern Afghanistan. A third U.S. service member died the same day in a bombing in the south.
  - AP is not mentioning the public outcry in Afghanistan over a greater number o Afghan civilians killed, as if all that mattered were U.S. troop losses. - on 2009-10-17
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Kerry: too soon to send more troops to Afghanistan - Yahoo! News

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Afghanistan surge Kerry Karzai fraud election

With Afghanistan's election crisis deepening, Sen. John Kerry says it would be irresponsible for the U.S. to consider sending additional troops to the region at this time.
Kerry said it would be misguided to have a troop buildup to achieve a mission of "good governance" when the election is not yet finished.
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- His visit came as Afghanistan's president, Hamid Karzai, resisted international pressure to accept fraud rulings that could force him into a runoff with his main challenger, Abdullah Abdullah. Due to harsh weather, a runoff may not happen until next spring.

Maps of Afghanistan’s 2009 Presidential Election - Interactive Graphic - NYTimes.com

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Afghanistan fraud election Karzai recount

UPDATED Oct. 16, 2009
almost two-fifths of Mr. Karzai’s votes will be subject to a recount
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16 Oct 09

ReliefWeb » Document » Memo to the President: Key recommendations to the next Afghan government

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Afghanistan NGOs fraud corruption abuse Taliban women girls

As a group of fifteen national and international organizations focused on alleviating poverty, addressing humanitarian needs and helping individuals to access their basic rights, we are deeply concerned about the challenges facing many Afghans.
While the recent electoral process was deeply flawed, the situation is critical and demands urgent action from the Afghan government and other key stakeholders.
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- In many places where our organizations work, state institutions are extremely weak and unable to provide services. In Daikundi province, for example, less than one percent of schools have a building in which to hold classes and running water and electricity are rare. Conditions are often worse in rural areas, where unemployment is estimated to be as high as 50% and access to health services, particularly for women, remains limited. Approximately every half hour, one Afghan woman dies from pregnancy-related complications and another from tuberculosis.
- Weaknesses in state structures have been compounded by corruption and a lack of transparency at all levels.
- The situation for women and girls is increasingly precarious, with initial gains made after the fall of the Taliban being rapidly eroded. Women in public life are subject to threats, intimidation and violence and girls' schools are frequently targeted and attacked by insurgents, particularly in the south and east.
- Despite a new military strategy focused on protecting the population, allegations of abuse and corruption against Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) have undermined public trust and created fear and resentment.

15 Oct 09

Afghan runner-up has faith in election fraud panel - AP

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Taliban Afghanistan elections Italy fraud corruption runoff

KABUL – President Hamid Karzai's top challenger in Afghanistan's intensely contested presidential election said Thursday he had faith that a U.N.-backed commission working to root out fraudulent votes would announce a fair decision within days.
topped short of saying he would accept its results
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- "we have to have faith in something,"
- "While the international community is reviewing its policy, it's crucial that the process end with an outcome which leads to a legitimate government which could be a partner for the international community ... and deal with the challenges which are ahead of it," Abdullah told reporters on the lawn of his home in Kabul.
- The top U.N. official in Afghanistan has acknowledged "widespread fraud" occurred in the Aug. 20 poll. On Monday, the Canadian head of the complaints commission, Grant Kippen, said his panel had misinterpreted the statistical analysis used to determine what percentage of votes would be voided if fraudulent, but said the confusion had not affected the process, only "people's perception" of it.
- Meanwhile, Italy and NATO on Thursday denied a newspaper report that Italian intelligence secretly paid the Taliban thousands of dollars to maintain peace in an area in Afghanistan that was under Italian control.
- Premier Silvio Berlusconi's office called the report in the Times of London "completely groundless." The Italian defense minister denounced it as "rubbish" and said he wanted to sue the newspaper.
- In Kabul, a U.S. spokesman for NATO forces in Afghanistan denied the allegations. "We don't do bribes," Col. Wayne Shanks said. "We don't pay the insurgents."
- The Times reported that Italy had paid "tens of thousands of dollars" to Taliban commanders and warlords in the Surobi district, east of the capital, Kabul. The newspaper cited Western military officials, including high-ranking officers at NATO, speaking on condition of anonymity.

14 Oct 09

Afghan presidential runoff would face challenges - Yahoo! News

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Afghanistan election runoff fraud stabilization security

Afghan officials would face a daunting task in organizing a runoff presidential election before the arrival of winter — including hiring unbiased staff and securing polling stations in areas under threat of Taliban attack
The problems are unlikely to end there. Even if the Afghans were to pull it off, there's no guarantee that another ballot — which seems increasingly probable — would produce a reliable partner for the U.S. and its allies in confronting the Taliban-led insurgency
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- But if the U.N.-backed Electoral Complaints Commission discards enough of the votes for Karzai, it could drop the president's total below 50 percent. That would force a runoff with the top challenger, Abdullah Abdullah.
- The electoral tumult already has thrown the country into a political crisis and cast doubt on a key pillar of the NATO strategy in Afghanistan — partnering with a legitimate Afghan government capable of winning broad public support against the Taliban and its al-Qaida allies.
- If the commission announces that Karzai does not have enough votes for a first-round win, Afghan law requires a runoff within two weeks. Election officials say it will take that long to prepare for a new vote.
- "Challenges remain, including hiring and training polling center staff and making sure people complicit in first-round vote fraud are not rehired," said Timothy Michael Carney, a retired U.S. ambassador who runs the U.S. election support team. "And of course the important aspect of ensuring security for a possible second round."
- The Independent Election Commission, the Afghan body that runs elections, must also complete the list of polling stations. The ousted deputy chief of the U.N. mission, Peter Galbraith, complained that many polling stations for the August balloting were established in areas too dangerous for voters — simply so ballots there could be faked.
- In order to minimize fraud in the second round, U.N. spokesman Aleem Siddique said the list of polling stations would be based on those that actually opened in August and where international and Afghan forces can provide security.
- About 200 district field coordinators would be replaced for a runoff — some because of "complaints made against them by candidates or observers," Siddique said Wednesday.
- Finding replacements won't be easy. The government had to scramble this summer to recruit enough poll workers — particularly women — for the August vote. It's unclear if they would be able to fill the posts with better qualified people.
- "People are gathering and saying, 'We've voted once and we are not going again,'" said Daoud Ali Najafi, the chief electoral officer.
- In southern Kandahar province, taxi driver Mohammad Nazir said the real decision-makers in the election are the Americans — a widely held view among Afghans.
  
  "Whoever the Americans want to be president, he will be president," Nazir said. He believes the U.S. is trying to get rid of Karzai because he has been critical of the number of civilians killed in military operations.
  
  "They are just giving a show of this 'free and fair election' to the world community," he said.

Karzai has 'grave doubts' about vote fraud panel - Asia, World - The Independent

www.independent.co.uk/...-vote-fraud-panel-1802262.html - Preview

Afghanistan election Karzai Barakzai ECC fraud

By Sean Maguire and Jonathon Burch in Kabul

Wednesday, 14 October 2009
Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai yesterday said the resignation of an Afghan member of the UN-backed Electoral Complaints Commission "cast serious doubt" on its work.
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- Mustafa Barakzai, a Supreme Court Judge who was one of two Afghans on the Commission, resigned on Monday claiming foreigners were "interfering" in its work and that Afghans had little input in its decisions.
- Supporters of Abdullah Abdullah, Mr Karzai's nearest rival in the August election, claimed that Mr Karzai was behind Mr Barakzai's sudden resignation.

12 Oct 09

The U.S. Backs Afghanistan's Karzai, for Better or Worse - TIME

www.time.com/...0,8599,1927403,00.html - Preview

Afghanistan failure Karzai stabilization election fraud

By Aryn Baker / Kabul Thursday, Oct. 01, 2009
The acceptance by the U.S. and NATO of a second term of office for Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai has raised concerns among many Afghans skeptical of the legitimacy of his re-election.
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- That acceptance was announced in Washington and Brussels on Sept. 29, at least a week before Afghanistan's Electoral Complaints Commission releases its final verdict on a recount of thousands of potentially fraudulent votes
- But while the Western powers may have jumped the gun with the announcement of support, it seems inevitable that Karzai will eventually emerge victorious even after a runoff.
- The U.S., NATO and the U.N. — whose senior representative to Afghanistan, Norwegian Kai Eide, was accused by his American deputy, Peter Galbraith, of tacitly favoring a Karzai victory following the election debacle (Galbraith was fired this week) — will now be forced to work with an Afghan leader that has not only distanced himself from Western tutelage but also lacks legitimacy in the eyes of his people.
- Instead of stinging Karzai into cleaning up his act, public criticism from Washington enabled him to set himself up as a leader at odds with the U.S., boosting his support in some sections of the population.
- He sought to strengthen his position through alliances with regional power brokers, including warlords accused of major human-rights abuses and known drug traffickers — people he will be beholden to as he enters a second term.
- "These leaders, these warlords, we witnessed them as they destroyed our country over the past decades," says Sanjar Sohail, editor of the national Eight in the Morning newspaper. "Previously they destroyed with the power of the gun. Now they can destroy with the power of democracy."
- Ahmad Nader Nadery of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission. "Rhetoric and public criticism that pushes a leader to a corner will not work, especially in Afghanistan where pride is an issue. If you just go in and say 'Don't deal with Dostum' or 'Stop corruption' and leave, no one will feel the pressure."
- Moscow's insistence that Afghans recognize their puppet government, despite its failure to deliver to the people. "Everyone is focusing on the number of troops the U.S. has in Afghanistan," says analyst Haroun Mir, director of Afghanistan's Center for Research and Policy Studies. "The Russians had twice as many troops [as the NATO coalition does now] but they failed, not because they were weak, but because the Afghan government was never accepted by the people. If people do not accept and recognize the legitimacy of the Afghan government we cannot force them with foreign forces. And that is where we are going."

Afghan Election: What Outcome Is Best for the U.S.? - TIME

www.time.com/...0,8599,1917280,00.html - Preview

Afghanistan failure Karzai stabilization election fraud

What's the optimal outcome for the U.S. in Thursday's Afghan election? In the last presidential race in 2004, that question would have been a no-brainer. Hamid Karzai was Washington's man, campaigning as the incumbent in Afghanistan's first post-Taliban election, having been installed by international edict after the U.S.-led invasion in 2001.
"The U.S. priority in Afghanistan today is waging a counterinsurgency war, in which good governance in an important element," says Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International studies
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- However, unlike in 2004, Karzai this time faces serious electoral challengers — candidates liked and respected by the U.S., and whom many in Kabul believe have been encouraged by Washington to run.
- Cordesman warns that those looking to cry foul already have plenty of material to work with. "Karzai has spent months trying to exploit traditional ties and allegiances by buying bloc votes from ex-warlords, local leaders, and power brokers," Cordesman noted in emailed comments. "The joke is that he has promised governorships to three times more such leaders than there are provinces. The reality is that Karzai's top running mates are the equivalent of warlords, and he [has] done everything possible to buy the election long before the vote will actually occur. As a result, the real question is how many Afghan voters will actually stay bought when they go to the polls."

Problems beset Afghan vote recount - Yahoo! News

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Afghanistan ECC fraud

KABUL – Efforts to resolve Afghanistan's fraud-marred presidential election suffered new setbacks Monday when one of two Afghans on the commission looking into alleged cheating resigned over "foreign interference" and U.N. officials acknowledged that errors and miscommunication had plagued the investigation.
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- Maulavi Mustafa Barakzai a member of the Electoral Complaints Commission
- The U.S. and its international partners are anxious for a U.N.-backed commission to wrap up its investigation into fraud charges and determine whether President Hamid Karzai won or must face second-place finisher Abdullah Abdullah in a runoff.
- One of the two Afghans on the commission, Maulavi Mustafa Barakzai, said he was resigning because the three foreigners on the panel — one American, one Canadian and one Dutch — were "making all decisions on their own."
- A spokeswoman for the Electoral Complaints Commission, Nellika Little, rejected Barakzai's allegation, saying the Afghan commissioner "was an integral part of the commission" and took part "equally in all commissioner meetings." She said the resignation "will not distract" the group from completing its investigation.
- it appeared the highly public resignation might be a bid by Karzai's supporters to discredit the commission
- Reporters were told of Barakzai's resignation and his news conference by members of the Karzai campaign. Barakzai was appointed by the Afghan Supreme Court, whose judges were named to their posts by the president.
- U.N. spokesman Aleem Siddique called the resignation "regrettable" but said the U.N. continues to trust that the group will produce a fair outcome.
  
  "We have full confidence in the ECC as the important work continues," Siddique said, adding that the U.N. "stands by the work that they are doing on behalf of the Afghan people."
- Last month, the top-ranking American in the U.N. mission in Afghanistan, Peter Galbraith, was fired after he accused his boss, Norwegian diplomat Kai Eide, of downplaying fraud in the August ballot. U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, a California Democrat who met Monday with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, told reporters in New York that it was a "very sad day when someone is dismissed for telling the truth."
- The chairman of the commission, Canadian Grant Kippen, told reporters Monday that it had misinterpreted the statistical analysis used to determine what percentage of votes for each candidate would be voided in ballot boxes deemed to have been faked.
- votes legitimately cast for a candidate could be canceled if they were found in ballot boxes that were deemed to have been stuffed in favor of another contender.

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