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01 Nov 2009 08:28

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World: A “transparent election is not possible”: Karzai’s competition out

Afghanistan’s presidential election falls further into chaos after Abdullah Abdullah pulled out of a runoff for oversight reasons. Your move, Karzai. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Oct 2009 09:22

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World: Protip for Hamid Karzai: Abdullah Abdullah needed for a runoff

  • Afghanistan’s leader is currently dealing with an angry challenger. When an election has widespread fraud, and you’re the biggest victim of the fraud, of course you’d be angry, right? Well, Abdullah Abdullah is so angry about it right now that he’s threatening not to be a part of the runoff. A runoff, by the way, that the U.S. had to pressure Hamid Karzai to take part in. In other news, who’s dressing as Hamid Karzai for Halloween this year? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Oct 2009 09:43

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World: Hamid Karzai not interested in power-sharing Afghan leadership

  • In our view there is no alternative to a second round. This is the only constitutional way to establish a new government.
  • Hamid Karzai’s campaign spokesman, Wahid Omar • Speaking at a press conference about the possibility of a power-sharing government. While Karzai agreed to a runoff, his challenger, Abdullah Abdullah, is just a wee bit concerned about the fact that the Independent Election Commission may not be as “independent” as its name suggests, and in fact may have many members loyal to Karzai. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Oct 2009 09:23

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World: Hamid Karzai’s learning to live with the idea of a runoff

The Afghan president has the look of a man hoping that the “anyone but Karzai” grassroots campaign didn’t get off the ground. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Oct 2009 22:26

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World: The White House is cautiously optimistic on an Afghan runoff

  • There are any number of cliches you could choose from, but we’ll wait until the chickens are hatched.
  • A senior administration official • Discussing the White House’s happiness that there’s been a breakthrough in getting Afghan president Hamid Karzai to agree to a runoff, though there’s been no definitive agreement yet. Karzai had been fighting the idea of a runoff despite the fact that the UN found that many of the votes in his favor had been falsified. You still have a minor shot, Abdullah Abdullah! • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink

19 Oct 2009 08:57

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World: Hamid Karzai has too much power over the Afghan election

  • He can somehow create an electoral deadlock. Despite the fact that the UN looked into the results of the election, and they’re designed to be an impartial third party, a UN-led probe into vote-rigging is on hold in Afghanistan because Karzai’s upset. Why? Because the UN’s throwing out questionable votes, which will cause a runoff election. And Karzai, for obvious reasons, doesn’t want a runoff. Karzai better deal with it, because he could be affecting whether the U.S. puts more troops in his country by fighting the electoral fraud charges. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

08 Sep 2009 10:28

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World: Afghanistan’s election results are officially a bad joke

  • 54.1% Hamid Karzai’s share of the vote with 92% of all votes counted – enough for him to avoid a runoff
  • 600 Number of polling stations with questionable results – many giving Karzai 100% of the vote source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

01 Sep 2009 21:15

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World: Some in Afghanistan say the ballot-stuffing was blatant

  • Not a single person in Shorabak District cast a ballot — not a single person. Mr. Karzai’s people stuffed all the ballot boxes.
  • Afghan regional governor Delaga Bariz • Regarding claims of widespread vote-tampering across the country. According to Bariz and others, Hamid Karzai had some of his right-hand men come into the Shorabak region (which Abdullah Abdullah was destined to win), close the 45 local polling places, bring the ballot boxes to the election headquarters and stuff them with thousands of ballots favoring Karzai. Pretty serious allegations. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 Aug 2009 10:42

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World: The Afghan presidential election has a lot of reports of fraud

  • 1,915 reports of fraud on the books so far source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 Aug 2009 10:37

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World: Abdullah won’t share “mafia-type” Afghan rule with Karzai

  • I don’t find a place for myself in this mafia-type system.
  • Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah • Regarding last week’s presidential election and the suggestion that he could share power with president Hamid Karzai. With 17 percent of votes counted, Karzai is leading 42 percent to 33 percent, and needs a simple to majority to avoid a runoff. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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