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Concern at Karzai poll power grab | Concern at Karzai poll power grab |
(20 minutes later) | |
Western diplomats have expressed deep concern at a decree from Afghan President Hamid Karzai giving him total control over a key election body. | Western diplomats have expressed deep concern at a decree from Afghan President Hamid Karzai giving him total control over a key election body. |
The move gives him the power to appoint all five members of Afghanistan's Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC). | |
The body helped expose massive fraud in last year's presidential poll, forcing Mr Karzai into a second vote. | The body helped expose massive fraud in last year's presidential poll, forcing Mr Karzai into a second vote. |
The decree comes as Nato-led forces fight a major operation against the Taliban in central Helmand province. | The decree comes as Nato-led forces fight a major operation against the Taliban in central Helmand province. |
The BBC has been told the outgoing UN representative to Afghanistan, Kai Eide, had struck a private deal that two of the five commission members would be foreigners. | The BBC has been told the outgoing UN representative to Afghanistan, Kai Eide, had struck a private deal that two of the five commission members would be foreigners. |
Under that agreement, one of the appointees was expected to have veto power. | Under that agreement, one of the appointees was expected to have veto power. |
But the deal does not feature in the new decree. | But the deal does not feature in the new decree. |
Devil in detail | |
The commission - which previously had three foreign experts appointed by the United Nations - will play a vital role in this year's parliamentary poll. | |
The BBC's Chris Morris in Kabul says Western diplomats are shocked by the decree. | The BBC's Chris Morris in Kabul says Western diplomats are shocked by the decree. |
One official questioned if the international community would be willing to underwrite the costs of another election, which could be deeply flawed. | One official questioned if the international community would be willing to underwrite the costs of another election, which could be deeply flawed. |
But another was less gloomy, telling our correspondent the decree was not necessarily a total disaster, and that the devil would be in the detail. | But another was less gloomy, telling our correspondent the decree was not necessarily a total disaster, and that the devil would be in the detail. |
In a speech to parliament on the first day of its spring session on Saturday, President Karzai listed his priorities, which included reforming the ECC's structure. | |
He reportedly said that in preparation for this year's parliamentary elections, he would limit "interference from others" by "Afghanising" the poll process. | |
Mr Karzai was eventually declared the winner of last August's presidential election after a months-long fraud investigation which paralysed the country and delayed Nato members sending more troops to combat the insurgency. | Mr Karzai was eventually declared the winner of last August's presidential election after a months-long fraud investigation which paralysed the country and delayed Nato members sending more troops to combat the insurgency. |
After the ECC discounted hundreds of thousands of votes from the first round because of widespread fraud, he agreed to a run-off. | |
But days before the vote in early November, it was scrapped, with officials citing a need to avert further political damage to Afghanistan and a rerun of the Taliban violence that marred the first round. | |
Mr Karzai's only rival, Abdullah Abdullah, had earlier pulled out of the runoff, saying that it would not be free or fair. |