UN Afghan envoy denies covering up on fraud Afghan vote

October 14th, 2009 KABUL - Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has expressed concern about the investigation into election fraud in Afghanistan. In an interview on US TV, the BBC quoted Karzai, as saying that the resignation of an Afghan member of the UN-backed panel "cast serious doubt" on its work.

October 10th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The Afghan envoy to the US has alleged that Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI was behind Thursday's attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul which killed 17 people and wounded more than 60. "Yes, we do," Afghan Ambassador to the US, Said T.

October 5th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Peter Galbraith, the American diplomat fired from his senior United Nations post for quarrelling with his superior, claims he was told to keep quiet about fraud during the Afghan election. The former deputy to UN special envoy Kai Eide, told the Washington Post that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's final instruction before firing him last week was: "Do not talk".

October 4th, 2009 LONDON - Afghanistan's incumbent President Hamid Karzai's main opponent, Abdullah Abdullah, has called for an inquiry into the United Nations role since the August poll. The UN along with the Afghan authorities is responsible for the presidential election's smooth running and investigating claims of fraud.

October 1st, 2009 LONDON - The senior UN envoy, who was removed from his post in Afghanistan, has told the BBC that his dismissal has sent out "a terrible signal" to the world about the organisation. Peter Galbraith said he believed he had been removed because of a dispute with his superior over how to handle fraud allegations in the country's recently held presidential elections.

September 10th, 2009 STOCKHOLM - The European Union Thursday said it backed a complete investigation into "allegations of fraud" in connection with the recent presidential elections in Afghanistan. The EU said it supported the work by the UN-backed Election Complaints Commission ECC to "safeguard the credibility of the elections," the statement issued by Sweden, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, said.

September 10th, 2009 KABUL - Abdullah Abdullah, the main challenger to President Hamid Karzai in the Afghan presidential election, Thursday accused the country's election commission of corruption and bias towards the incumbent. In an interview with the BBC, the former foreign minister accused Karzai of fraud, saying the election was stolen from the Afghan people.

September 9th, 2009 KABUL - Afghan President Hamid Karzai Wednesday welcomed the partial election results announced by the Independent Elections Commission, ignoring reports of "clear proof" of fraud by a UN-backed commission. Karzai congratulated Afghan voters for going to the polls despite Taliban intimidation.

September 9th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Though Obama administration officials are reluctant to confirm that there has been wholesale fraud in the presidential elections in Afghanistan, they have recognised that with President Hamid Karzai getting a slim majority, that they will have to keep dealing with him for another five years. While there are clearly numerous egregious instances of fraud or vote-rigging, these officials said, it would take further investigation to judge whether, as one put it, "this whole thing is rotten, top to bottom." According to the New York Times, their caution reflects the fact that while the initial vote-counting has reached its conclusion, the Electoral Complaints Commission, an Afghan and international panel that will certify the final count, is still in the early stages of an investigation that could take several weeks.

September 9th, 2009 MADRID - Spain will withdraw its troops from Afghanistan within five years, Defence Minister Carme Chacon said. The remarks followed Spain's recent announcement that it would send another 220 soldiers to the Central Asian country to help in the continued battle against the Taliban.

September 8th, 2009 KABUL - The US and the UN have increased their pressure on the Afghan government to allow a thorough review of the Aug 20 presidential election following mounting allegations of vote rigging, diplomats and news reports said Tuesday. A Western diplomat told DPA that Western missions in Afghanistan have been growing very concerned over the widespread fraud allegations and were trying to convince President Hamid Karzai not to interfere in investigations of complaints by the Independent Election Commission.

September 3rd, 2009 PARIS - Western envoys to Afghanistan have said that their respective governments should "be prepared for a run-off" in the Afghanistan presidential election if too many votes are ruled "irregular." If no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, a run-off between the top two vote getters will be held. The latest results show that incumbent president Hamid Karzai has 47.3 percent of the vote with more than 60 percent of the ballots counted.

August 28th, 2009 KABUL - Concerned over the reports of massive fraud during the recent Afghan elections, the US Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke had an 'explosive' meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai recently. According to the BBC, Holbrooke raised concerns over reports of ballot-stuffing and fraud, by a number of candidates' teams during the election.

August 26th, 2009 KABUL - Continuing uncertainty surrounds the forthcoming results of the second presidential elections in Afghanistan, with claims and counter claims being projected by key candidates. However, notwithstanding Finance Minister Omar Zakhilwol's claim that incumbent President Hamid Karzai will win the elections by an overwhelming vote of 68 percent, an analysis has revealed that ethnicity will be a major factor in determining how the people of Afghanistan will vote.

August 12th, 2009 KABUL - Hundreds of Afghan and US forces launched an operation in a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan Wednesday to flush out militants before next week's presidential election. About 100 Afghan soldiers and 400 US marines began the offensive, dubbed Operation Eastern Resolve II, in the Naw Zad district of Helmand province ahead of the Aug 20 vote, the US military said in a statement.