tagged w/ Afghan Elections
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Evidence is mounting that fraud in Afghanistan’s latest parliamentary election was so widespread that it could affect the results in a third of provinces, calling into question the credibility of a vote that was an important test of the American and Afghan effort to build a stable and legitimate government.Evidence is mounting that fraud in Afghanistan’s latest parliamentary election... more
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In Afghanistan, a raft of former guerrilla chieftains and commanders implicated in war crimes are likely to win re-election to parliament in polls that took place this past week.In Afghanistan, a raft of former guerrilla chieftains and commanders implicated in war... more
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Angry eligible voters in eastern Afghanistan scuffled with police last week, complaining that the closure of polling stations due to security hampered their democratic rights.Angry eligible voters in eastern Afghanistan scuffled with police last week,... more
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The Afghan government has decided not to open more than 900 voting stations during next month's parliamentary election, citing security concerns. The closures will affect nearly 15 percent of the country's 6,835 polling stations, and could disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of voters.The Afghan government has decided not to open more than 900 voting stations during... more
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Concerns persist about Afghanistan’s ability to hold a fair parliamentary election in little more than a month. One of the biggest concerns is that the insecurity will open fresh opportunities for fraud, especially for the creation of so-called ghost polling centers. The presidential election last year was marred by numerous cases in which hundreds of ballots were recorded for a single candidate — usually President Karzai — in places where no one had actually voted. Election officials ended up throwing out more than a million votes.Concerns persist about Afghanistan’s ability to hold a fair parliamentary... more
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The government of Afghanistan has drafted proposed changes to its election laws that would remove all three foreign members from the body that investigates fraud, limit the number of women in parliament and establish a host of new qualifications for candidates to run for office.The government of Afghanistan has drafted proposed changes to its election laws that... more
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Afghanistan announced this past week that their country has postponed parliamentary elections because of a lack of funds. The announcement, five months after the presidential election descended into a ballot-stuffing farce, will deepen global concern that graft and logistical problems are undermining democracy in one of the world's poorest and most corrupt nations.Afghanistan announced this past week that their country has postponed parliamentary... more
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UNICEF says that eight years after the U.S.-led invasion in Afghanistan, the country is now the most dangerous place in the world for a child to be born.UNICEF says that eight years after the U.S.-led invasion in Afghanistan, the country... more
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In a damning indictment of how Canada handled prisoners early in its mission in Afghanistan, a government whistleblower says all captives that Canadian soldiers transferred to local authorities ended up being tortured – even though many were likely innocent.In a damning indictment of how Canada handled prisoners early in its mission in... more
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A new army field manual published last week instructs British soldiers to buy off potential Taliban recruits with “bags of gold.”A new army field manual published last week instructs British soldiers to buy off... more
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Sher Mohammed Akhundzada, the former governor of Afghanistan's Helmand province, has revealed that he turned thousands of his followers over to the Taliban after he lost his job under pressure from British officials.Sher Mohammed Akhundzada, the former governor of Afghanistan's Helmand province,... more
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Malalai Joya has been called the bravest woman in Afghanistan. Joya was elected the youngest member of the Afghan parliament and suspended for her outspoken criticism of the country's top officials. According to the Toronto Star, these days Joya sleeps in safe houses with a rotating squad of bodyguards securing the doors. She only goes out in public wearing a burqa. Her wedding was held in secret.Malalai Joya has been called the bravest woman in Afghanistan. Joya was elected the... more
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After an electoral victory tainted by allegations of rampant fraud, corruption and voter intimidation, Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai used the occasion of his inauguration to announce that US troops would hand over security over the next five years. For everyday Afghan citizens interviewed by international news media, Karzai’s message was, to say the least, disheartening.After an electoral victory tainted by allegations of rampant fraud, corruption and... more
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This past week in Afghanistan, President Hamid Karzai began his second term after an election riddled with widespread fraud. At his inauguration, Karzai sat between US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Abdul Rashid Dostum, the Afghan warlord who's become a symbol of cronyism and government corruption. Dostum was stripped of his top military post after he was accused of war crimes and investigated for enacting vigilante justice on the streets of Kabul.This past week in Afghanistan, President Hamid Karzai began his second term after an... more
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US Foreign Service officer Matthew Hoh has become the first US official known to resign in protest over the Afghan war. Hoh, a former Marine Corps captain with combat experience in Iraq, has come to believe the war fuels the insurgency there.US Foreign Service officer Matthew Hoh has become the first US official known to... more
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The New York Times reported this past week that Ahmed Wali Karzai, the brother of the Afghan president and a suspected player in the country’s booming illegal opium trade, gets regular payments from the CIA, and has for much of the past eight years, according to current and former US officials.The New York Times reported this past week that Ahmed Wali Karzai, the brother of the... more
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