NEWS: European Union Finds Fraud In Afghanistan Elections

breakingnews.iol.ie
There were worrying cases of fraud in Afghanistan's landmark legislative elections this month, a European Union observation mission says.

It called the cases "worrying", and while saying that they did not appear to have occurred on a nationwide scale, stressed the need for the UN-Afghan election administration to handle them "in a transparent and effective way which would ensure the integrity of the electoral process".

Counting of votes for a national assembly and provincial councils has been taking place at 32 centres around the country and organisers have said they aim to complete the process in early October.

A member of the EU mission, who did not want to be identified, said organisers should not feel obliged to rush the count if this meant questionable ballots were not dealt with properly.

In an initial report a day after the vote, the head of an EU observer mission, Emma Bonino, said the polls were generally well administered and peaceful and marked "a significant step forward for Afghanistan's democratic development".

But she pointed to pre-poll shortcomings, including numerous reports of intimidation and the killing of several candidates and election workers, and said the electoral system itself should be reconsidered.

In its own election-day report on the $US159 million polls, the UN-Afghan Joint Electoral Management Body noted that "a full spectrum of irregularities seen in post-conflict environments was certainly present" during the vote.

These included fraudulent voter registration cards, double voting, proxy voting, misapplied procedures, intimidation and disruptions by agents.

Official results are expected by October 22, once the complaints process is completed


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