Afghanistan poll fraud threatens Karzai
Updated on 19 October 2009
Two months after Afghanistan's presidential elections, a UN-backed watchdog invalidates thousands of fraudulent votes, depriving Hamid Karzai of outright victory and threatening his hold on the presidency. Jonathan Rugman reports.
The corruption that has stalked Hamid Karzai's bid for a second term as Afghanistan's president has flared into the open with the publication of the UN-backed investigators' definitive analysis of the ballots.
The votes in 210 booths have been declared fraudulent, threatening Karzai's hold on the necessary 50 per cent plus of the vote. The election complaints watchdog said there was 'clear and convincing evidence of fraud'.
Most independent election observers say President Karzai now does not have enough votes for an outright victory.
Political analysts have called for him to face a run-off. And tonight the White House said the world wanted to see Afghan leaders show the election process was legitimate.
US group Democracy International said the report by the Electoral Complaints Commission showed that Karzai now has 48.3 per cent of the vote, down from the preliminary 54.6 per cent, while his main rival Abdullah Abdullah has 31.5 per cent, up from 27.7 per cent.
Diplomatic sources said the findings point to a second round, as the report strips all candidates of a majority. But the government is questioning the legitimacy of a run-off.
