Karzai Working on Deals With Challengers

(NEWSER) - The supposedly indelible ink used to mark voters' fingers in today's Afghanistan election rubs off easily with household detergent, raising fears of widespread ballot fraud. Campaigners for Abdullah Abdullah, the main opposition candidate, found they could remove the ink with minimal effort, and a Guardian journalist scrubbed his finger clean in a matter of minutes. It could spell a big problem: As many as 3 million counterfeit voting cards are in circulation in Afghanistan. More»

Cites Karzai's refusal to reform election system

(NEWSER) - The only contender to unseat Afghan President Hamid Karzai today followed through on his threat to boycott the runoff election slated for Nov. 7. Citing Karzai's refusal to overhaul the election system as impetus for his decision, Abdullah Abdullah declared a “transparent election is not possible” at a news conference—handing Karzai a second five-year term and potentially tossing the fragile country into an uproar. More»

But spokesman leaves room for late maneuvering

(AP) - Afghan presidential challenger Abdullah Abdullah plans to boycott next week's runoff against Hamid Karzai and instead call for postponement of the vote until the spring, his campaign manager said today. "As of now," Abdullah plans to call for a boycott during a press conference tomorrow, he said. Abdullah also plans to call for an interim government to run the country until a new, fair vote can be held. More»

Ban Ki-Moon plans measures to ensure widespread fraud isn't repeated

(NEWSER) - The United Nations learned "quite a painful lesson" from the widespread fraud in Afghanistan's August election, and aims to rout out corrupt voting supervisors next time around, Ban Ki-Moon said yesterday. The UN secretary-general said more than half of the election officials should be removed before next month's runoff election "to ensure a fair and transparent process," the BBC reports. UN officials aim to visit every polling station during the November 7 vote. More»

Political turmoil sends 'Kalashnikov Index' soaring

(NEWSER) - The price of a smuggled Kalashnikov assault rifle in Afghanistan has more than doubled in recent weeks amid rising political turbulence, Time reports. Last month's election is widely believed to have been rigged in favor of President Hamid Karzai, and many fear challenger Abdullah Abdullah and the warlords he represents may turn to violence. "People are arming themselves," warns one Western diplomat in Kabul. More»