Afghan Governor Rejects Karzai Election

Insurgent 'brothers' reject the Afghan president's call for unity

(NEWSER) - Hamid Karzai made some sweeping but non-specific promises to banish corruption and reach out to opponents today in his first press conference since being re-elected by default. The Afghan president also reached out to "Taliban brothers," urging them to "embrace their land," but his overtures were scorned by insurgent leaders who said the canceled runoff vote was a victory for them, the BBC reports. More»

Karzai congratulated, told to clean up his government

(NEWSER) - President Obama congratulated Hamid Karzai on his "messy" election victory yesterday while warning him that it was time to clean up corruption in his government. "I emphasized that this has to be a point in time in which we begin to write a new chapter," said Obama, describing a phone call with the Afghan president. The White House stressed that Karzai now has legal legitimacy but still needs to earn credibility, reports AP. More»

'Stunning' second ballot complicates Obama strategy

(NEWSER) - President Hamid Karzai's share of the vote in Afghanistan's presidential election has reportedly fallen to about 47% after an investigation into fraudulent ballots—meaning that he will face Abdullah Abdullah in a runoff if the result is finalized today. One Afghan official called the development "stunning," and a Karzai ally conceded that a runoff was likely. New ballots have already been printed, and the US and NATO want the vote to take place in early November to avoid the harsh Afghan winter. More»

Chaos and corruption aid insurgents' propaganda campaign

(NEWSER) - It's still not evident whether Hamid Karzai will avoid a runoff in Afghanistan's presidential vote, but the winner of the election is clear: the Taliban. Delays in tallying and alleged systemic fraud have given the insurgency new material for a sophisticated propaganda campaign that portrays the Karzai administration as corrupt to the core. And as the US, EU, and UN debate whether to accept the results, the Taliban is pushing the line that Western powers are in control of the country, reports the Washington Post. More»

(NEWSER) - White House hopes that the Afghan election would show the country's progress toward stability have been dashed, as the voting instead highlighted the challenges Afghanistan faces, the New York Times reports. With a runoff between President Karzai and challenger Adbullah Abdullah on the horizon, observers complain of fraud, ballot stuffing and turnout so low that Taliban intimidation effectively disenfranchised some regions. More»