Afghan Elections

Widespread problems with Afghan vote

Gregg Carlstrom | August 20, 2009 8:57 AM | 0 | recommend (0) |   |      

I'm sympathetic to the difficulty of holding elections in a country like Afghanistan. Really, I am. But I'm skimming through news updates from the excellent Pajhwok Afghan news service and I'm wondering how the U.S. will ever spin this as a free or fair election.

2 of 8 districts in Nuristan province (northeast Afghanistan) didn't vote because of security concerns.

The Taliban attacked five polling centers in Baghlan province, in northern Afghanistan, stealing 25 of 35 ballot boxes.

2 of 9 districts in Wardak province (central Afghanistan, largely Pashtun) couldn't vote; 5 others had security problems but remained open.

In Kapisa province (northeast Afghanistan), there was no voting in one district, and most of the polling stations in another district (Tagab) closed at noon due to fighting.

And in Ghazni province, 10 of 18 districts had no voting.

Think about this: In some places, 25-50 percent of voters had no opportunity to vote.

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Categories: Afghan Elections (2009), Afghanistan, Politics, Regional News

Tags: Afghan elections, Taliban

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