Karzai Reverses on Vote Auditors

Mar 13, 2010 — New York Times

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan has agreed to reverse an earlier decision and allow two foreigners on a commission that will monitor coming parliamentary elections, his spokesman said Saturday.

The development comes amid pressure on Afghanistan to avoid a repeat of last year’s fraud-tainted presidential vote.

Last month, Mr. Karzai signed a decree allowing him to appoint all five members of the Electoral Complaints Commission in consultation with parliamentary leaders and the chief of the Supreme Court. The commission previously had three United Nations appointees.

The decree was criticized as a bid to control the monitoring process ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for September.

After last year’s presidential election, the complaints commission ruled that there had been widespread ballot stuffing. It stripped Mr. Karzai of nearly one-third of his votes, forcing a potential runoff. Mr. Karzai was eventually declared the president when his remaining challenger dropped out of the race.