Afghanistan’s Election Runoff: Disaster in the Making?

[tekisui]

Source: Wired

This week’s deadly insurgent attack on a UN guesthouse in Kabul — along with the attack on the Serena Hotel — seemed to have one very specific goal: To disrupt Afghanistan’s upcoming presidential runoff election, which is scheduled for Nov. 7.

After Afghan President Hamid Karzai fell short of the 50 percent required to avoid a runoff, a second round was hastily scheduled. As we noted two weeks ago, that vote was shaping up as logistical train wreck: The Aug. 20 national elections required months of advance planning, and the outcome was still marred by violence and fraud.

The UN is still continuing its electoral support, despite this week’s attacks. But it now looks like the election is shaping up as a serious security challenge. Reporting from Kabul, the Washington Post’s Pamela Constable notes that Afghanistan’s election commission rejected advice from UN officials and announced plans to open more than 6,300 polling stations for the upcoming vote. That announcement surprised international monitors, who recommended that the government open only 5,800 voting centers.

That move raises huge questions about plans to provide security for the additional polling stations. While Afghan officials have said they plan to deploy additional personnel to safeguard voters on election day, it promises to increase the burden on U.S. and NATO security forces.

And more polling stations may mean more opportunities for fraud. Abdullah Abdullah, Karzai’s challenger, has threatened a possible boycott, saying that the Afghan election commission is in the president’s pocket.

more: http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/10/afghanistans-election-runoff-disaster-in-the-making/

[FarCenter]

1. I'm going to go out on a limb here and pedict that Karzai willl win

[AllentownJake]

2. You can't have an election

in a war zone.

Forgive my political correctness but when was the first election the US government allowed to happen in Japan in Germany after WW2?

I swear we act like Rome more and more everday, at least Rome didn't have the nerve to put the illusion of an election when they installed a puppet king.