Fraud can’t be ruled out at Afghanistan’s run-off elections
October 23rd, 2009 - 4:50 pm ICT by ANIKabul, Oct. 23 (ANI): While a large scale swindle is unlikely to hit Afghanistan’s run-off elections set for as soon as November 7, the risk of a fraud cannot be completely ruled out, experts say.
“None of us want to see a repeat of what happened in the first election. Can we stop fraud? No, we cannot, but we can reduce it,” the New York Times quoted Kai Eide, United Nations Special Representative, as saying. However, continuing threats from insurgents, subfreezing temperatures and a deep sense among Afghans that there is little reason to vote a second time may plummet the voter turnout significantly. “Many Afghans believe the elections are over,” Eide said.The turnout in the first round, which as later marred by massive corruption claims, was about 38 percent.
In the first round of Afghanistan’s presidential elections, some of the worst fraud occurred at so-called ghost balloting sites, which never opened but where thousands of votes were reported.
Both Afghani and International officials are taking steps to try to minimize the fraud in the next round, which will be a far simpler election.
The ballot will have just two candidates’ names instead of the 41 in the first round, and there are no provincial council elections this time.
In the first round, there were 6,300 polling places; in the second round the number is expected to be closer to 5,800. (ANI)
- 'Over 70 percent vote in French presidential elections' - Apr 22, 2012
- Karzai ready for foreign monitors in election watchdog - Mar 13, 2010
- Karzai supporters offered Afghan officials 500,000 dollars to falsify parliamentary poll results - Sep 13, 2010
- Millions of French vote to decide Sarkozy's fate (Third Lead) - Apr 22, 2012
- Afghan Taliban call for poll runoff boycott - Oct 24, 2009
- Afghans await results of tainted presidential election - Oct 17, 2009
- Karzai is 'legitimate leader' of Afghanistan: US - Nov 03, 2009
- Karzai's challenger expected to boycott presidential run-off - Oct 31, 2009
- Top UN official admits to fraud-tainted election in Afghanistan - Oct 12, 2009
- Karzai promises `national unity' government in new term - Nov 03, 2009
- Putin to win polls in first round: Exit poll - Mar 05, 2012
- US expects Karzai to accept Afghan runoff: Report - Oct 20, 2009
- Kyrgyz PM Atambayev set to win presidential poll - Oct 31, 2011
- Karzai wins majority amid 'clear proof of fraud' - Sep 09, 2009
- Riots in Liberia ahead of presidential poll run-off - Nov 07, 2011
Tags: afghanistan, afghans, deep sense, fraud, ghost, insurgents, international officials, kabul, kai eide, large scale, massive corruption, new york times, polling places, presidential elections, provincial council elections, second time, swindle, taking steps, united nations, voter turnout