Karzai controls fraud panel
Critics worry that vote will be tainted
KABUL – A decree by Afghanistan’s president giving him control of a body that monitors election fraud has raised concern he’s reneging on promises to clean up corruption. President Hamid Karzai signed the decree last week giving him the power to appoint all members of the Electoral Complaints Commission, a group previously dominated by U.N. appointees that uncovered massive fraud on behalf of Karzai in last year’s presidential election.
The decree, which was made public Monday, suggests that Karzai wants to tighten control of the electoral process ahead of parliamentary balloting next September.
The election was due in May but was postponed because foreign donors would not help pay for it without reforms.
“This is bad news for democracy,” said Gerard Russell, a former U.N. political adviser who resigned over disputes surrounding the August presidential election.
“Basically if President Karzai wishes it, this could prevent free elections ever being held in Afghanistan.”
A Karzai spokesman said the changes were made because foreigners had too much control over the last election.
“The international members had large salaries and didn’t care about Afghanistan’s national interest,” Syamak Herawi said. “Now there won’t be any interference. The foreigners can be observers.”