CBCnews

REPUBLISH | EMAIL | PRINT | Text Size: S M L XL | REPORT TYPO | SEND YOUR FEEDBACK | Bookmark and Share

Afghan election fraud charges could sway results

Last Updated: Monday, August 24, 2009 | 8:05 PM ET

CBC News
An election worker counts votes at the the Independent Election Commission in Kabul , Afghanistan, on Sunday.An election worker counts votes at the the Independent Election Commission in Kabul , Afghanistan, on Sunday. (Rafiq Maqbool/Associated Press)

Charges of fraud in Afghanistan's presidential election are growing and they could sway the final result, the commission investigating complaints said Sunday.

The independent Electoral Complaints Commission had received 225 complaints since the start of Thursday's vote, including 35 allegations that are "material to the election results," said Grant Kippen, the head of the UN-backed body. The main complaints are over the rigging of ballot boxes, he added.

President Hamid Karzai's top challenger, former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, widened allegations of fraud against Karzai and his government on Sunday, saying ballots marked for Karzai were coming in from volatile southern districts where no vote was held, and that turnout was being reported as 40 per cent in areas where only 10 per cent of voters cast ballots.

"My focus today is on the big fraud. Big fraud, which can have an impact on the outcome of the election," said Abdullah. "This has to be prevented. That is critical for the survival of the process."

The U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan urged patience for the official complaints process to run its course before judging the vote's legitimacy.

"There are always rumours in Afghanistan," said Richard Holbrooke in the western city of Herat.

"We have disputed elections in the United States. There may be some questions. That would not surprise me at all. I expect it."

Millions of Afghans voted in the country's second-ever direct presidential election, although Taliban threats and attacks appeared to hold down the turnout, especially in the south.

Preliminary results are now expected on Tuesday. Final results won't be available until next month. If neither Karzai nor Abdullah wins 50 per cent or more, there will be a run-off vote, probably in October.

  •  
REPUBLISH | EMAIL | PRINT | Text Size: S M L XL | REPORT TYPO | SEND YOUR FEEDBACK | Bookmark and Share
 

Related

Video

James Murray reports: Afghan election fraud charges could sway results (Runs: 2:28)
Play: Real Media »
Play: QuickTime »

Crossroads Afghanistan Headlines

Karzai wins as Afghan run-off cancelled Video
Afghan President Hamid Karzai was declared the victor of the war-torn country's presidential election as a run-off vote was cancelled after his opponent withdrew.
Afghan challenger drops out of election Video
Abdullah Abdullah has announced he won't participate in the Nov. 7 run-off presidential election against incumbent President Hamid Karzai.
Kandahar spy blimp raises privacy concerns
An unmanned spy blimp floating high above the city of Kandahar is being praised by military officials as a useful security tool, but criticized by Afghan locals who say it violates their privacy.
Afghanistan rejects UN advice on run-off vote
Afghan election officials said Thursday that there will be more voting centres for next week's presidential run-off than in the fraud-tainted first-round vote in August, rejecting UN recommendations to eliminate sites to prevent cheating.
Ottawa mulled pulling Afghan control from military: Hillier
The Harper government considered taking day-to-day control of the mission in Kandahar away from the military and giving it to Canada's ambassador in Kabul.

World Headlines

updated Syria massacre prompts UN Security Council meeting video
The UN Security Council is holding an emergency meeting Sunday to discuss the recent massacre in the Syrian town of Houla, in which more than 90 people died, many of them children under the age of 10.
updated Ryder wins! Hesjedal takes the Giro d'Italia
Ryder Hesjedal has made history. The Victoria, B.C. native became the first Canadian to win one of three Grand Tour events, on Sunday, wrapping up the 2012 Giro wth an excellent performance in the 21st and final stage at Milan.
new IMF chief blasted for chastising Greeks on taxes
International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde is backtracking from recent remarks that she has more sympathy for poor African children than Greeks suffering under the country's economic problems and austerity measures.
NATO airstrike kills 8 in family, Afghan official says
A NATO airstrike killed eight members of a family, including children, according to Afghan officials who claim that such attacks damage the civilian population's trust in international troops who have been fighting in the country for more than a decade.
new Iran planning 2 new nuclear plants
Iran's nuclear chief says his country is planning to build at least two new nuclear power plants next to an existing facility that became operational with Russia's help last year.