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Disputes Threaten to Derail Audit of Afghanistan Vote Disputes Threaten to Derail Audit of Afghanistan Vote
(about 7 hours later)
KABUL, Afghanistan — Wrangling over Afghan election results continued Sunday as campaign aides of the presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah accused one of President Hamid Karzai’s vice presidents of involvement in fraud in a runoff vote that they say was stacked against Mr. Abdullah.KABUL, Afghanistan — Wrangling over Afghan election results continued Sunday as campaign aides of the presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah accused one of President Hamid Karzai’s vice presidents of involvement in fraud in a runoff vote that they say was stacked against Mr. Abdullah.
Three weeks after Secretary of State John Kerry brokered a deal to impose an internationally monitored audit of the July 7 vote, the process came close to collapse over the weekend. The audit had been suspended for a week during the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr, and the campaign teams of Mr. Abdullah and his opponent, Ashraf Ghani, argued through the weekend over the technicalities of how to invalidate fraudulent ballots. Three weeks after Secretary of State John Kerry brokered a deal to impose an internationally monitored audit of the June 14 vote, the process came close to collapse over the weekend. The audit had been suspended for a week during the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr, and the campaign teams of Mr. Abdullah and his opponent, Ashraf Ghani, argued through the weekend over the technicalities of how to invalidate fraudulent ballots.
The United Nations, which is assisting with the audit, and the Afghan Independent Election Commission announced a decision on the criteria for invalidating votes and tried to resume the audit on Sunday, but Mr. Abdullah’s team refused to participate, citing further objections to the criteria. Mr. Kerry made phone calls to both candidates on Friday, with little apparent progress.The United Nations, which is assisting with the audit, and the Afghan Independent Election Commission announced a decision on the criteria for invalidating votes and tried to resume the audit on Sunday, but Mr. Abdullah’s team refused to participate, citing further objections to the criteria. Mr. Kerry made phone calls to both candidates on Friday, with little apparent progress.
Also on Sunday, Mr. Abdullah’s campaign manager released an audiotape on which he said Vice President Karim Khalili could be heard directing his followers to support Mr. Ghani in the runoff. An aide to Mr. Khalili has denounced the tape as fake, according to the independent television news channel Tolo TV.Also on Sunday, Mr. Abdullah’s campaign manager released an audiotape on which he said Vice President Karim Khalili could be heard directing his followers to support Mr. Ghani in the runoff. An aide to Mr. Khalili has denounced the tape as fake, according to the independent television news channel Tolo TV.
In the tape the speaker, who sounded like Mr. Khalili but had not been independently verified as such, said that the international community, the election commission and the president all supported Mr. Ghani for president. He even suggested that Afghanistan’s allies would tolerate the use of any means to achieve such a result.In the tape the speaker, who sounded like Mr. Khalili but had not been independently verified as such, said that the international community, the election commission and the president all supported Mr. Ghani for president. He even suggested that Afghanistan’s allies would tolerate the use of any means to achieve such a result.
“Our international friends have promised us that by using any means and using any opportunity, the election outcome must turn in favor of this team, even if these opportunities, even if these means are against electoral mechanisms,” the voice said.“Our international friends have promised us that by using any means and using any opportunity, the election outcome must turn in favor of this team, even if these opportunities, even if these means are against electoral mechanisms,” the voice said.
Mr. Abdullah’s campaign manager, Baryalai Arsalai, said the tape proved that the election fraud had been planned to return a victory for Mr. Ghani.Mr. Abdullah’s campaign manager, Baryalai Arsalai, said the tape proved that the election fraud had been planned to return a victory for Mr. Ghani.
“This evidence was released today to inform our countrymen that our president, other government elders and the so-called election commission are instruments,” Mr. Arsalai said. The election was a public process, he said, calling it the right of the Afghan people, not the president or the commission chief. “We have a responsibility to let people know that their rights are being violated,” he said.“This evidence was released today to inform our countrymen that our president, other government elders and the so-called election commission are instruments,” Mr. Arsalai said. The election was a public process, he said, calling it the right of the Afghan people, not the president or the commission chief. “We have a responsibility to let people know that their rights are being violated,” he said.
Mr. Arsalai vouched for the tape’s authenticity and said details proving that would be released later.Mr. Arsalai vouched for the tape’s authenticity and said details proving that would be released later.
More than 700 international election observers are in Kabul, ready to conduct the 100 percent audit of the Afghan runoff election. Under tight security, some have been diverted from hot spots in Iraq and Libya and are bunking five to a room.More than 700 international election observers are in Kabul, ready to conduct the 100 percent audit of the Afghan runoff election. Under tight security, some have been diverted from hot spots in Iraq and Libya and are bunking five to a room.
After lengthy last-minute negotiations, and clarifications issued by the United Nations on the criteria for disqualifying fraudulent ballots, Mr. Abdullah’s team announced it had provisionally agreed to attend the audit on Monday.After lengthy last-minute negotiations, and clarifications issued by the United Nations on the criteria for disqualifying fraudulent ballots, Mr. Abdullah’s team announced it had provisionally agreed to attend the audit on Monday.
The presidential candidates visited Kandahar together on Sunday to pay their respects to the Karzai family after a cousin of the president was killed in a suicide bombing on Tuesday. The cousin, Hashmat Karzai, was Mr. Ghani’s campaign manager in Kandahar, a critical southern province.The presidential candidates visited Kandahar together on Sunday to pay their respects to the Karzai family after a cousin of the president was killed in a suicide bombing on Tuesday. The cousin, Hashmat Karzai, was Mr. Ghani’s campaign manager in Kandahar, a critical southern province.