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U.N. says fears of unfair Afghan poll well-founded
Fri Mar 20, 2009 7:04am EDT
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By Louis Charbonneau
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Opposition fears of an unfair election in Afghanistan this year are well-founded, and a rigged poll would fuel political instability and undermine support for democracy, a top U.N. envoy has warned.
The warning came as Afghan President Hamid Karzai said he welcomed a U.S. deployment of 17,000 extra troops to Afghanistan but that efforts to stabilize the country were "seven years too late."
Afghanistan is suffering its worst violence since U.S.-led forces toppled the Taliban in 2001, with the Islamist insurgency steadily increasing and spreading from the south and east.
Presidential elections are due on August 20, with Karzai expected to be among the candidates. A vote that lacks legitimacy would be further grist for Taliban efforts to undermine popular support for the government and its Western allies.
"All involved -- the government, the opposition, and the international community -- must understand the costs of a flawed and unfair election process," Kai Eide, the U.N. special envoy to Afghanistan, told the U.N. Security Council on Thursday.
"The result (of a rigged poll) would be prolonged political instability when stability is more than ever required (and) would create doubt in the minds of many Afghans about the value of democratic processes when confidence is needed," he said, urging the Kabul government to address opposition concerns on the issue.
Eide did see some improvement: a push to reform the police and cut corruption. He also said heroin production was expected to fall this year in Afghanistan, the world's top producer.
In fresh violence in Afghanistan, 30 militants were killed by Afghan and U.S.-led forces in Helmand province on Thursday, the U.S. military said. The Interior Ministry said Afghan police had killed 17 militants in Helmand a day earlier.
Elsewhere, three militants were killed in Logar province, close to the capital Kabul, the U.S. military said.
DONOR CONFUSION
Eide spoke of confusion over aid to Afghanistan. He said as much as $1 billion has been donated without going through the government, making it hard to monitor how the money was spent.
"Afghan authorities do not know, and we do not know, how much is spent ... and for what purpose," he said. However, he told reporters the United Nations' estimate was a reliable one.
Separately, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told Reuters in an interview he wanted Karzai to strengthen relations with neighboring countries, particularly Pakistan.
He said he was encouraged by Karzai's "strong cooperative relationship" with Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari.
U.S. and other military forces in Afghanistan see the elimination of militant support in lawless northwestern Pakistan as essential to winning the war in Afghanistan. Continued...
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