September 20, 2005

Afghan Ballots Sent to Counting Centers
By DANIEL COONEY, Associated Press / Mon Sep 19, 5:32 AM ET
KABUL, Afghanistan - Trucks, helicopters and donkeys carried ballots to counting centers across Afghanistan on Monday, though early indications suggested voter turnout in landmark legislative elections was lower than in last year's presidential vote.

Afghan and international officials hailed Sunday's elections as a major success in the country's march toward democracy, but chief electoral officer Peter Erben said reports from about one-third of the polling stations indicated a turnout of just over 50 percent.

The projection appeared to confirm suggestions by electoral officials and independent monitors that turnout was lower than hoped for due to security fears and frustrations over the inclusion of warlords on the ballot. Turnout was 70 percent in the October 2004 presidential election.

The government and its Western backers hailed the first elections for a national assembly in over 35 years as a strong show of defiance in the face of Taliban threats and determination to bring stability after decades of war and chaos.

"Afghanistan should be satisfied with the turnout in yesterday's election," Erben said. He said it compared well with elections in other postwar countries.

President Hamid Karzai praised voters — who cast ballots in schools, mosques and even desert tents — for coming out "in spite of the terrorism, in spite of the threats." In New York, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said the election showed "the clear determination of the Afghan people to pursue the peaceful and democratic development of their nation."

President Bush called the vote successful and a major step forward, commending "the tremendous progress that the Afghan people have made in recent years."

Taliban rebels had called an election boycott. Militant attacks killed at least 15 people, including a French commando, in the hours before and during voting — the latest victims of violence that killed more than 1,200 people in the past six months.

But with tens of thousands of Afghan and foreign forces providing security, there were no spectacular assaults. Election officials said no one was killed in attacks near polling stations — although three voters were wounded — and only 16 of the 6,270 stations did not open because of security threats or logistical problems.

The voting for parliament and 34 regional councils was the last formal step toward democracy under an internationally sponsored plan laid out following the ouster of the oppressive Taliban regime by U.S.-led forces in 2001. Many people looked to a big vote to marginalize Taliban rebels whose stubborn insurgency rumbles on in the south and east.

Washington and other governments have poured in billions of dollars trying to foster a civic system that encourages Afghanistan's fractious ethnic groups to work together peacefully and ensure the nation is never again a staging post for al-Qaida and other terrorist groups.

Security was tight as workers brought ballot papers from far-flung polling stations to provincial capitals, where counting was to start Tuesday. Provisional results were expected by early October.

Once final results are posted, it will likely take time to figure out who has the power in the 249-seat Wolesi Jirga, or parliament. There are fears it could be split along the same ethnic and tribal lines that fueled years of war as 1970s coups led to a decade-long Soviet occupation followed by devastating civil war and the Taliban takeover in the 1990s.

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Turnout in Afghanistan's vote appears to be just over 50 per cent: official
The Canadian Press (CP) / Mon Sep 19, 6:10 AM ET
KABUL (CP) - Early indications suggest turnout in Afghanistan's landmark legislative elections was just over 50 per cent, significantly lower than in the country's presidential vote last fall, the chief electoral official said Monday.

Reports from 35 per cent of the polling stations suggest about six million people cast votes in Sunday's elections, Peter Erben told a news conference.

"With these early indications, I can say turnout appears just over 50 per cent," he said.

Erben said the numbers could change as reports come in.

Turnout was 70 per cent in the presidential election last October that installed Hamid Karzai to a five-year term as the nation's leader.

Afghan and international officials hailed Sunday's vote for a parliament and provincial assemblies as a major success, although some officials and independent election monitors said turnout was lower than hoped for because of security fears and frustrations over the inclusion of several warlords on the ballot.

The Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan, a monitoring body partly financed by the U.S. government, estimated Sunday that 30 per cent to 35 per cent of registered voters cast ballots, based on observations from 7,500 monitors across the country.

Violence in the two days leading up to the vote left at least 22 people dead. Early Sunday, fierce fighting in eastern Afghanistan killed three militants and two Afghan policemen, while two American soldiers were wounded.

Last Thursday, a roadside bomb rocked a Canadian armoured reconnaissance vehicle and slightly injured two of its crew members in Kabul.

The more than 6,000 polling stations were guarded by about 100,000 Afghan police and soldiers and 30,000 foreign troops in the U.S.-led coalition and a separate NATO peacekeeping force. Canada has about 700 troops in Kabul under NATO and another 250 in a provincial reconstruction team in Kandahar.

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Sharp drop in Afghan poll turnout
BBC News / Monday, 19 September 2005
Turnout in Afghanistan's parliamentary and provincial elections on Sunday was more than 20% down on last year's presidential poll, officials say.

Just over 50% of registered voters cast their ballots, officials have told the BBC.

A number of reasons for the drop are being given. Many voters said they did not want to vote for candidates they regarded as warlords.

There was also evidence many people found the elections too confusing.

Only a few of the candidates declared any political ties, which observers say made it hard for voters to make an informed choice between candidates.

The parliamentary elections were the first in the country for more than 30 years.

President Hamid Karzai, one of the early voters, said Sunday was a good day for Afghanistan, whatever the election results.

He said he hoped the parliament will provide a strong focus for democracy in the country, even if a majority of deputies oppose him.

Ballot boxes are now being transported to counting stations by truck, donkey and helicopter.

The government says the counting of ballots will begin on Tuesday, with final results due in late October.

'Compares well'

Election officials told the BBC that about six million people voted on Sunday out of about 12.5 million registered voters.

But, because officials believe there were many multiple registrations, turnout is being estimated at just over 50 percent.

Chief electoral officer Peter Erben said the turnout figure compared well with other post-war countries.

"Afghanistan should be satisfied with the turnout in yesterday's election," he told a news conference in Kabul.

The elections were part of an international plan to restore democracy after US-led forces overthrew the Taleban in 2001.

There were 5,800 candidates nationwide for the two elections.

Thousands of foreign and Afghan security forces were on high alert after a campaign marred by violence.

Six people including a French soldier were killed in attacks by insurgents on election day.

Little impact

In the capital, Kabul, and some surrounding areas, the queues were much shorter than for the presidential election 11 months ago.

Reports from Kandahar in the south say women voted in large numbers. BBC reporters in Jalalabad say more women than men voted there.

But correspondents say it was not the sporadic violence that appeared to have deterred voters.

Attacks by militants, mostly in southern and eastern rural areas, have been largely blamed on supporters of the former Taleban regime who opposed the election.

Organising the voting posed the bigger challenge.

Poor transport links and inhospitable terrain presented huge problems.

Illiteracy was also a factor and there were fears many people found it difficult to choose candidates by their picture and symbol.

In Kabul, voters had to work their way through a seven-page ballot paper with almost 400 candidates for the parliament alone.

More than 1,000 people, including seven election candidates, have been killed in militant-linked violence in the past six months - the worst bloodshed since US-led forces ousted the Taleban in 2001.

But officials said the peaceful conduct of the polls was a victory over the militants.

"After all their boasting, it's a big failure for the Taleban," interior ministry spokesman Lutfullah Mashal was quoted as saying.

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Taliban claim 51 attacks launched
By Rahimullah Yusufzai / The News International (Pakistan) / September 19, 2005
PESHAWAR: Despite Taliban failure to disrupt Sunday’s landmark parliamentary elections in Afghanistan, their spokesman Latifullah Hakimi claimed 51 attacks were launched against the US-led coalition troops across the country in spite of unprecedented security measures undertaken for the vote.

Speaking from an undisclosed location to The News, the spokesman insisted 31 foreign troops and 49 Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers were killed in Taliban attacks on Saturday and Sunday. He also claimed 11 polling stations were burnt down including three in Urozgan province, two each in Nuristan and Kandahar, and one each in Laghman, Ghazni, Zabul and Kunar.

There was no independent confirmation of Hakimi’s claims. The US military authorities and Afghan government denied Taliban claims. Both the Taliban and the Afghan and US governments make battle claims that are impossible to independently verify. The claims are often exaggerated

Hakimi maintained that no Taliban fighter was killed, injured or captured while launching the 51 attacks during the past two days. He stressed that no civilian was killed or injured in the Taliban attacks. "We had promised not to target the Afghan civilians and we are glad that we were able to prevent civilian casualties," he argued.

According to Hakimi, seven coalition tanks and seven ANA military vehicles were hit and burnt during Taliban attacks. He claimed the destruction of two tanks Saturday night and Sunday morning in Taliban attacks killed four French commandoes and other foreign troops near Majal village between Loi Karez and Spin Boldak towns not far from the Pakistan border in Kandahar province. The other tanks and military vehicles, he added, were destroyed in Kandahar’s Shah Wali Kot and Shahr-i-Saffa districts, Nawa and Dilaram districts in Helmand province, and in Ghazni and Wardak.

The Taliban spokesman also gave a province-wise break-up of the Taliban guerilla attacks over the past two days. He said 11 Taliban attacks took place in Kandahar, 9 in Urozgan, 7 in Kunar, 4 each in Zabul and Nangarhar, 3 each in Nuristan, Laghman and Ghazni, 2 in Loghar, and one each in Kabul, Kapisa, Wardak, Helmand and Nimruz.

Describing some of the major attacks, Hakimi explained that four US soldiers were killed when their tank hit a landmine planted by the Taliban and triggered by remote-control near Kagatori area on the road between Ghorak and Mewand in Kandahar.

He said American troops also came under Taliban attack in Khugiani in the eastern Nangarhar province. He stated that five Afghan policemen were killed in a Taliban assault in Narai district of Kunar while another six were slain in Kandahar’s Arghandab district. He reminded that district police chief of Musaye district in Logar along with five cops was ambushed and killed Saturday. Hakimi also claimed killing seven ANA soldiers in Hazartak near Jaldak in Zabul province.

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World leaders praise Afghan poll, pledge support
September 19, 2005
KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan's allies commended Afghans for their bravery in defying Taliban threats to vote in legislative elections held on Sunday and promised their unstinting support.

Millions of Afghans turned out to vote in the first parliamentary elections in more than 30 years. At least 14 people were killed in violence but voting was held in all districts.

"I congratulate the Afghan people and Afghan government for today's successful parliamentary elections, which are a major step forward in Afghanistan's development as a democratic state governed by the rule of law," U.S. President George W. Bush said.

U.S. forces invaded Afghanistan in late 2001 to oust a hardline Taliban government for refusing to give up Osama bin Laden, architect of the Sept. 11 attacks on U.S. cities.

The United States commands a 20,000-strong foreign force battling Taliban and other militants in the south and east of the country and has been urging its European allies to shoulder more counter-insurgency responsibilities.

That has led to speculation the United States might be seeking to scale back its involvement in Afghanistan, but Bush said the United States would remain committed.

"We pledge the full support of the United States as Afghanistan acts to meet the new challenges ahead," he said.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair also congratulated Afghans.

"I admire the courage shown by all those standing as candidates and especially the very many women," Blair said.

About 10 percent of about 5,800 candidates running for seats in parliament and on provincial councils were women. Election results will not be known for several weeks but women have been reserved 68 seats in the new national assembly.

"Once again the Afghans have shown how determined they are to build a better future for their country," Blair said. "The UK will continue to work in their support and wishes them every success."

PRAISE FOR PAKISTAN
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan congratulated Afghans for their "enthusiastic participation" in the balloting and said he hoped the counting and any challenges would take place in a peaceful and orderly manner.

"Today's achievement shows once again the clear determination of the Afghan people to pursue the peaceful and democratic development of their nation," said Annan's chief spokesman, Stephane Dujarric.

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said Afghanistan had sent a clear message to the world that it would continue along a path to democracy, despite challenges.

"NATO, together with the UN, the EU, the G8 and other international actors will continue to support the government of Afghanistan and assist it in addressing the needs of the Afghan people," said the head of the defence alliance, which commands a Kabul-based peacekeeping force.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Afghans had clearly demonstrated their desire to determine their own future.

He also praised Afghanistan's eastern neighbour, Pakistan, which has faced criticism in Kabul for a perceived failure to stop Taliban insurgents from launching cross-border attacks.

"I commend Pakistan's efforts to increase security along the border prior to the elections and acknowledge that Afghanistan still faces many challenges and will require support from the international community for some time to come," Downer said.

Australia sent 1,550 troops to Afghanistan in 2001, including special forces, to join the U.S.-led forces. This deployment was withdrawn by the end of 2002, but last month Canberra redeployed 150 special forces to Afghanistan.

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Musharraf: 'No need to apologise'
BBC News / Saturday, 17 September 2005
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has denied that he accused rape victims of using their situation to make money in a newspaper interview.

But, one of the authors of Tuesday's article in the Washington Post told the BBC News website that the president had been quoted "verbatim" in the article.

The article quoted Gen Musharraf as saying that rape had become a "moneymaking concern" in Pakistan.

Women's groups held protests in Pakistan on Friday against the remarks.

During a press conference at the offices of Time magazine, Gen Musharraf said that he was not insensitive enough to accuse raped women of using their situation to make money.

He said the newspaper had misinterpreted what he had said and had misquoted him.

'Verbatim'

But Glenn Kessler, co-author of the Washington Post article, told the BBC News website: "The president's comments were tape recorded and they were quoted verbatim and in context."

"The article did not try to sensationalise the quotes and in fact they were not the main focus of the article," he said.

In the second half of the article, Musharraf is quoted as saying "You must understand the environment in Pakistan. This has become a moneymaking concern. A lot of people say if you want to go abroad and get a visa for Canada or citizenship and be a millionaire, get yourself raped."

He made the comments in the context of a question about the treatment of high-profile rape victim Mukhtar Mai.

The Women's Action Forum in Pakistan described the president's reported comments as "outrageous".

'Not unique'

Last week President Musharraf told a conference on violence against women in Islamabad that Pakistan should not be singled out for its treatment of women.

He also lashed out at rights groups for their role in highlighting cases such as Ms Mai's outside the country. Leading rights groups called the conference a "farce".

The president's critics say he pays only lip service to cracking down on the abuse of women, hundreds of whom are raped and murdered every year in so-called honour cases in Pakistan.

Despite government protestations that it is doing much to help women, many of those who try to register cases of rape and violence find it as hard as ever to do so, campaigners say.