Turmoil over Afghan vote boycott (this is sad...)

For the sake of completeness,see also this thread:
http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=27462

And - from a pre-election report:

"Silence over Afghan women's rights
By Andrew North
BBC correspondent in Kabul


Forty per cent of the registered voters for Saturday's presidential election in Afghanistan are women - so why is there so little debate about women's rights?

In a bleak and run-down part of eastern Kabul, aid workers call out to a group of poor women waiting for food handouts.

One by one, they collect a ration of flour, salt and cooking oil.

It is supposed to last them and their children for the next month because they all have something in common - they are widows.

In Afghanistan, losing your husband can mean destitution for women.

Many are abandoned by their families. Unable to work, they depend on support programmes like this one run by the aid agency Care.

Hanifa lost her husband four years ago in a rocket attack.

"I'm totally alone. I have no support and I have six children, with no one to help me. All I have is this ration card from Care. Sometimes I feel like killing myself."

But Care is trying to find ways for these widows to earn an income - with chickens.

They are each given a brood of 30 chicks, poultry feed and advice. Zermina is now making about $30 a month from selling the eggs from her grown hens.

"It has made life a lot easier," she says.

"I can get food now for all my children. And I have eight children, four of them blind."

The advantage is these women can earn this money at home - rather than taking the risk of offending local sensibilities by working, in often conservative neighbourhoods..............

"..........They think that I'm guilty, that I left home. But in fact they forced me to leave home.

"They were beating me but they don't understand that and now they saying: 'You are guilty.'

"Because of their honour they don't want to be faced with other family members. They want to kill me."

Alone and penniless, Fatima ended up as a prostitute. But after being caught by Iranian police, she was handed over to the Afghan authorities, and suffered more terrible treatment.

Two months ago, some police took pity on her. Fatima is now in a refuge in Kabul for battered women, its location a closely kept secret.........."


Full story here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3721932.stm

So the election process may be shady huh? I guess bush was right...we've brought them democracy, free elections, and freedom.....American style :wink:

Well, whether they were shady or not - either way this is sad.

There were lots of good folk over there helping - I was listening to an Oz electoral commission fella who was one of the contingent - and ALL sides trust our electoral commission - with good reason.

I was hoping, without much conviction, that it would work well enough for the country to move on to the next phase.

Bummer.

But: Full story http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3730772.stm

"Afghan vote boycott 'crumbling'


An Afghan man inspects the ballot form before voting
Several candidates in Afghanistan's presidential election appear set to drop calls for a boycott of the result.
Confusion clouded the historic vote on Saturday when 15 of the 18 candidates alleged flaws in the voting procedure would produce a fraudulent result.

But many of their representatives have now told the BBC they will instead accept the findings of an official inquiry into alleged irregularities.

The UN has hailed the "massive" turnout in the elections.

More than 10 million people were registered to vote, many of them refugees living in Pakistan and Iran.

International bodies have endorsed the elections, with the largest monitor group there describing them as "fairly democratic"........"

And - opinion piece on effect of the boycott:

"Will boycott damage the Afghan vote?
By Sanjoy Majumder
BBC News Online correspondent in Kabul


First things first - Afghanistan's first ever democratic elections were largely peaceful.

This in a country still under the threat of violence from the Taleban, private militias and sparring warlords.


Women vote in Shiberghan, northern Afghanistan
And large numbers of Afghans turned out to cast their ballots including, in many areas, many women.

But a sudden move to boycott the polls by all the candidates opposed to President Karzai has threatened to cast its shadow over what has clearly been a remarkable process.

It followed fairly widespread complaints of voting irregularities - specifically that the indelible ink used to mark voters' fingers and prevent them from casting their vote again could easily be washed off.

Officials from the Joint Electoral Management Body - made up of Afghan and UN officials - were quick to react and pronounce judgement after an investigation.

"The problem is not with the ink itself but its application," said the JEMB's head, Farook Wardak.

But the matter had deeply embarrassed the JEMB and the UN, with many questioning how millions of dollars could be spent on an election yet something as elementary be overlooked.

My BBC colleague and veteran Afghan watcher Lyse Doucet put it succinctly:

"This was an election which was supposed to have been undone by international terrorism. To be able to cast my vote and participate in the future of my country - this is a dream to be cherished

Abdul Mateen
taxi driver

"Yet it's all come down to a pot of ink."

The controversy has, however, come as a lifeline to the disparate opposition which had made several failed attempts to jointly oppose the president.

They can now question the outcome of the poll, which Mr Karzai is widely expected to win.

It could potentially make the president's attempts to extend his political reach over this deeply divided country that much more difficult.........."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3729766.stm

All in all... I call it progress. Even if they have to vote again; it will then be the second time in history that they cast a vote to decide for themselves who leads them. Millions of people have just gotten their first tiny taste of democracy. I say it's a beautiful thing.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3731746.stm

Observers approve Afghan election


International observers have endorsed Afghanistan's first presidential election, rejecting opposition calls for a new poll amid reports of fraud.
The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said demands by 15 of the 18 presidential candidates to annul the poll were "unjustified".

The local Free and Fair Elections Foundation of Afghanistan (FEFA) said the poll was "fairly democratic".

Saturday's poll was marred by claims of alleged flaws in the voting procedures.


The OSCE - which contributed to the 230 foreign monitors - acknowledged that there were some irregularities during the poll that should be investigated.

However, OSCE Ambassador Robert Barry said "the candidates' demand to nullify the election is unjustified and would not do service to the people of Afghanistan who came out yesterday, at great personal risk, to vote".

and http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3731420.stm

BBC reports:-

"UN to investigate Afghan election


Preliminary results are not expected for a few days
The United Nations is to investigate alleged irregularities in Afghanistan's presidential election.
All allegations of voter fraud must be submitted in writing to the UN panel by 1430 GMT on Wednesday, organisers say........

The ruling means counting of ballots, which should have begun on Monday, cannot start until after that deadline.

One of President Karzai's main rivals, Yunus Qanuni, has vowed to accept the inquiry findings. Ink to stop multiple voting allegedly failed to work.



QUICK GUIDE


Afghanistan

Speaking after talks with US and UN envoys, Mr Qanuni said: "To respect the will of millions of Afghans and to go along with our national interests I would accept the results of the election after the investigation."

He said he wanted the inquiry report published before the election results were announced.........."

Full story here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3733760.stm

I so hope this election works....

I watched some interviews with some folks that think the ink thing is exaggerated. They said they'd washed several times and the ink was still there. They can only assume that's the case with the majority so the majority will probably accept the results... Plus, since the winner will be the guy the majority voted for, that too should make it easier to believe. I hope it was a landslide to eliminate even more doubt.

Dammit.

Something's wrong.

I AGREE with you!

:wink: