Voting Fraud Results in Run-off Election in Afghanistan

By Michael E. Sanchez
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia
  KABUL, Afghanistan- Following weeks of mounting international pressure, Afghanistan will hold a final and deciding round of its problem-laden presidential poll on November 7, which will pit President Hamid Karzai against rival Adbullah Adbullah.  This news comes a day after Afghanistan’s Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC); a UN-backed panel posted its findings on its website which stated it had clear evidence of fraud in August’s first round.  This confirmed what has been known for many days; that President Karzai scored less than the 50% which is necessary to avoid a second round with Abdullah, his main challenger.  As a result of the report, the ECC ordered that ballots from 210 polling stations be invalidated.

Article 21 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that, “Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.”  This article also declares, “The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government, this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine election which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.”

After weeks of intensive Western lobbying of Afghanistan’s leaders to resolve this crisis and the announcement of the final round, Mr. Karzai gave his reaction to the run-off at a news conference.  “I call upon our nation to change this into an opportunity to strengthen our resolve and determination, to move our country forward and to participate in the new round of elections.”  

The BBC’s Martin Patience, in Kabul, says that even with the new vote, there is no guarantee that any new vote will be free of the fraud that dogged the first round of elections.  White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Afghans must work out their election process in a way that is seen as fair.  “The onus is clearly on this to be legitimate in the eyes of the Afghan people,” Gibbs said

For more information, please see:

BBC News- Endgame for Afghanistan’s elections? – 19 October 2009

Reuters- Karzai seen open to Afghan run-off-Western Sources – 19 October 2009

Bloomberg.com- Karzai May Open Path to Disputed Afghan Vote Solution-20 October 2009

BBC News- Afghan Election Goes to Run-Off – 20 October 2009

United Nations- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Author: Impunity Watch Archive