Afghan election fraud is unearthed

Source: BBC

An investigation by the BBC has found evidence of fraud and corruption in Afghanistan's presidential election. Thousands of voting cards have been offered for sale and thousands of dollars have been offered in bribes to buy votes.

The Afghan Independent Election Commission that oversees the poll has also been accused of not doing enough to prevent abuses.

We were passed information that voting cards were being sold in the capital. An Afghan working for the BBC went undercover, posing as a potential buyer. He was offered 1,000 cards on the spot. Each one would cost about $10 (£6).

We were given some samples as proof of what was being offered. They are all authentic with the name, photo and home details of the voter on them.



Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8207315.stm

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Corruption and fraud?

that's part of modern Democracy

:sarcasm:

election fraud has been encouraged.

Why are our troops asked to defend such a corrupt regime?

Unfortunately, many "progressives" think it's for some just or good reason. It is certainly not.

at a SFRC roundtable last February. The entire hearing was interesting as it did speak of the corruption and asked the question of whether we had already lost any window to succeed years ago. At around 105 minutes, there is a good discussion where a counterinsurgency expert spoke of the elections being either the point where we start to succeed or a nail in the coffin of what we are trying to do. The same person, at around 136, suggests that it is like Vietnam under Diem. http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/2009/hrg090205a.html

Several members of the SFRC are going to observe the elections, it will be interesting to hear their conclusions afterward. The Chair has spoken of oversight hearings in the Fall.

Source: The National

Mounting evidence of widespread vote rigging is emerging on the eve of tomorrow’s presidential election in Afghanistan.

Tribal leaders are allegedly being offered bribes of $20,000 (Dh73,000) or more by supporters of the two main rivals to sway voters in rural villages, while fresh evidence emerged yesterday of voter registration cards being put up for sale.

Revelations by British news sources of the potential poll fraud helped raise fresh questions in the UK yesterday over the value of the sacrifices being made by the country’s forces in Afghanistan, where more than 200 soldiers have now been killed and where as many troops were wounded last month as in the whole of last year...

A report in The Times has said supporters of President Hamid Karzai were trying to rig votes in the south of the country, some of the attempts allegedly orchestrated by Ahmed Wali Karzai, the president’s half-brother...

Read more: http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090819/FOREIGN/708189850/1002

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Pending election farce about to happen in Afghanistan... Remember, you heard it here first!

to get the Uzbek vote. Dostum should be in prison for war crimes.

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