Afghan presidential rivals agree to vote audit

KABUL, Afghanistan — After nearly 12 hours of often tense negotiations, Secretary of State John Kerry announced Saturday that Afghanistan would audit all eight million votes cast in a runoff presidential election last month as part of a deal to end a tense power struggle between the top two candidates.

The audit, intended to resolve allegations of widespread fraud, is to begin almost immediately, he said, and will be supervised by international monitors. Its results will be binding, and the winner will go on to head a national unity government whose shape has yet to be finalized.

“Every single ballot that was cast will be audited,” Mr. Kerry said at a news conference where he was flanked by the two candidates, Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani, who endorsed the agreement.

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The breakthrough came on the second day of a visit that Mr. Kerry hastily arranged to try to prevent Afghanistan’s first democratic transfer of power from collapsing. Both Mr. Abdullah and Mr. Ghani had said the election was marred by fraud, but both had also claimed victory.

Tensions were heightened Tuesday when Mr. Abdullah threatened to form his own government following the release of preliminary results from the runoff, raising the possibility of an ethnically and regionally divided Afghanistan just as American troops prepare to complete their combat mission.

Mr. Kerry spent Friday largely listening to the proposals of the Abdullah and Ghani camps and meeting with President Hamid Karzai.

And then on Saturday, shortly before 9 a.m., he began what would turn out to be an entire day of shuttling between meeting rooms at the American Embassy, where each candidate had gathered with a handful of advisers. He also met with Mr. Karzai at the presidential palace in the afternoon.

By the time they announced the deal, Mr. Kerry looked like a man who had put in a long day’s work. Mr. Abdullah and Mr. Ghani looked similarly worn out by the marathon negotiations, which had achieved what they alone could not in the weeks since the June 14 runoff.

“This is unquestionably a tense and difficult moment,” Mr. Kerry said, “but I am very pleased that the two candidates who stand here with me today and President Karzai have stepped up and shown a significant commitment to compromise.”

Mr. Kerry said the audit would begin within 24 hours and take several weeks, and Mr. Karzai indicated that he would agree to postpone the inauguration, though he urged that the auditors try to complete their work in time to meet the scheduled date of Aug. 2.

He did not set a new date, only saying it would take place after the audit.

Mr. Karzai seemed comfortable with the outcome, something of a turnaround, as he had previously refused to allow international “interference” in the elections.

Mr. Kerry and Mr. Karzai have been through painfully long negotiations on previous occasions, but the two men seemed at ease together on Saturday night.

If it is implemented successfully, the deal will be an accomplishment for Mr. Kerry, who has long played a troubleshooting role on Afghanistan.

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When he was a senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Mr. Kerry persuaded Mr. Karzai to accept a runoff in the contested 2009 presidential election. In March 2013, Mr. Kerry went to Kabul to rebuild relations with Mr. Karzai after he publicly accused the United States of wanting to destabilize the country.

Not all of Mr. Kerry’s efforts on Afghanistan have held up. In November 2013, Mr. Kerry announced that the United States and Afghanistan had completed the wording of a bilateral security agreement that would establish a legal basis for keeping American forces in Afghanistan after 2014. Mr. Karzai later refused to sign the agreement, though Mr. Abdullah and Mr. Ghani have each indicated that they would do so shortly after assuming office.

The accord on the terms of an audit follows several recent setbacks for Mr. Kerry, most notably the failure of an intensive effort to secure a Middle East peace agreement. His push to encourage productive talks between Russia and Ukraine has also fallen short.

But in Kabul, Mr. Kerry had more leverage than he had in the Middle East. Afghanistan’s security forces depend on billions of dollars of assistance from the United States. In calls to each of the candidates last week, President Obama stressed his support for a review of the fraud, but warned pointedly that resorting to violence or taking extraconstitutional actions “would result in the end of U.S. assistance to Afghanistan.”

To ensure security — and to give the candidates confidence that no new vote tampering was taking place during the audit — the NATO-led military coalition in Afghanistan is to fly ballot boxes that are currently in the provinces to Kabul, the capital, and work with Afghan forces to provide security for the boxes once they arrive. United Nations and other international observers will watch the entire process.

Jan Kubis, the United Nations special representative in Afghanistan, called on other nations to send extra observers to assist with the audit as soon as possible.

Discussions on Saturday concerned how to determine how many ballots should be re-examined for fraud and how to ensure that the audit was impartial. Both sides had wrangled over the technical details, in particular the threshold for selecting which ballots should be reviewed.

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RECENT COMMENTS

Cole W 12 minutes ago
I highly doubt this will solve anything once the audit is all said and done. One side will claim victory once again and the other will cry...
Yoandel 51 minutes ago
So both sides agree that ballot stuffing by the other side was incontrovertible and by the hundreds of thousands... yet an audit, which can...
Withheld 1 hour ago
I am looking forward to the follow-up article in the Times on how you audit a flawed election. What are the auditors going to be looking...
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Mr. Kerry had to seek not only agreement by the two candidates, but also acceptance by Mr. Karzai, who will step down after 13 years in power and has by all accounts remained a powerful presence behind the scenes.

In the first round of voting on April 5, Mr. Abdullah emerged the top vote-getter against 11 other candidates, with 45 percent to Mr. Ghani’s 31 percent. Because neither won more than 50 percent of the vote, a required runoff between the two was held on June 14.

Preliminary results from the runoff show Mr. Ghani leaping ahead with 56 percent of the vote, and Mr. Abdullah with 44 percent. The turnout in the runoff also increased by more than a million voters, to eight million.

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Mr. Abdullah’s campaign has accused his opponents of conducting extensive institutional fraud, and has alleged that members of the Independent Election Commission, government officials and Ghani supporters orchestrated large-scale ballot stuffing to enable Mr. Ghani to win the presidency.

Mr. Ghani’s team has said that fraud took place on both sides and insists that his better showing in the runoff was the result of an energetic campaign to mobilize his fellow ethnic Pashtuns to vote for him.

The dispute, which has delayed results for nearly a month since the initial vote, comes amid a rise in violence around the country. Civilians are killed and wounded more frequently now in Afghanistan than at any point since the arrival of American forces, the International Crisis Group said in a statement on Saturday.

Seven members of the Afghan security forces were killed in clashes with the Taliban east of the capital in Laghman Province on Saturday.

Two tribal elders and a family of eight were killed in three separate attacks in southern Afghanistan, electricity has been knocked out in the city of Kandahar, and a bomb killed two people in Jalalabad.

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The power struggle between the candidates had threatened to once again plunge the country into ethnic violence. Some officials here warn that such an outcome could be even more dangerous for the country than the continuing Taliban insurgency.

“The legitimacy of this voting process is obviously at stake,” a senior administration official traveling with Mr. Kerry said in a briefing to journalists Friday evening. He was speaking on the condition that he not be named in accordance with State Department rules.

“There were millions of people that voted in the first round and then again in the second round of elections,” he said. “They deserve to be counted accurately and to demonstrate that democracy works.”

Correction: July 12, 2014
Because of an editing error, an earlier version of this article misstated the day of the initial vote. It was April 5, not June 14. (The latter date was the day the runoff vote was held.)

Michael R. Gordon contributed reporting from Washington.

A version of this article appears in print on July 13, 2014, on page A1 of the New York edition with the headline:

Egypt presidential election campaign opens after bombings

CAIRO: Campaigning opens Saturday in Egypt for a May election likely to be won by the ex-army chief who deposed the elected president, after deadly bombings underscored tensions ahead of the vote.

The May 26-27 presidential poll, meant to restore elected rule following the July overthrow of Islamist Mohamed Morsi, is widely seen as a done deal that will place former army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in power.

His only rival, Hamdeen Sabbahi, came third in the 2012 election which Morsi won, and faces a groundswell of support for Sisi since the ouster of the divisive Islamist leader.

Sabbahi says he represents the ideals of the 2011 uprising that overthrew veteran strongman Hosni Mubarak.

But more than three tumultuous year later, many voters yearn for a self proclaimed strong leader such as Sisi to restore stability.

Sisi, reviled by Morsi´s Islamist supporters, has vowed to stamp out a surge in militant attacks such as the two bombings on Friday that killed a policeman in the capital and a soldier in the Sinai Peninsula.

If he wins, he will restore a line of military men at the helm of the country that was briefly interrupted by the civilian Morsi´s year in power.

Morsi´s Muslim Brotherhood and the militants are expected to increase protests and attacks should Sisi win, despite the widest crackdown on Islamists in decades. At least 1,400 people, mostly Islamists, have been killed in street clashes, including hundreds on August 14 alone, while thousands have been jailed and placed on trials.

Afghan presidential election partial results expected today

KABUL: A frontrunner to succeed Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said his one time rival should continue to serve a role in politics and that he wouldn´t pursue "vengeance" against the man he claims stole the last election.

A former ophthalmologist and resistance fighter against invading Soviet forces in the 1980s, Abdullah Abdullah served as Karzai´s foreign minister from late 2001 to 2005.

Following the 2009 poll, which was widely discredited as massively fraudulent by the international community, Abdullah accused Karzai of "stealing" the vote. Abdullah along with former World Bank economist Ashraf Ghani are seen as the two leading candidates in the race to succeed Karzai, with more than seven million people defying bad weather and Taliban threats to vote last week.

Observers have long suspected Karzai of coveting a key role in the country´s politics after leaving the presidency. These suspicions have been fuelled, in part, by the construction of a lavish new house for him near the presidential palace and the nomination of his brother Qayyum as a candidate.

Though Qayyum dropped out of the race, and his next anointed successor, Zalmai Rasoul, is believed to have fallen into third place behind the two leaders, Karzai is still seen as important to Abdullah´s effort to secure the president´s southern Pashtun base, the largest ethnic group.
Abdullah, who was born to an ethnic Pashtun father and a Tajik mother, is more associated with the northern Tajiks.

Speaking to AFP in his Kabul home, Abdullah hinted Karzai would remain at the heart of the country´s affairs. "The president of Afghanistan will have a role in the future. I´m not talking about an administrative role, I´m talking about a role in the politics of the country, a role at the national level, and he has served the country for the past 13 years. "So that is something that is natural. What shape that role will take will depend on his decision", he said.

Asked whether he would be inclined to seek prosecution of Karzai or his brothers, who have been dogged by major corruption allegations for years, he added: "I would not go through that line that will be politics of vengeance and revenge and retribution. Our priority of the future government will be to deal with the priorities of the nation."

The first partial results are expected later Sunday, with both camps expressing optimism of winning outright without the need for a second round, triggered if no candidate gains more 50 percent of the estimated seven million votes cast. A potential solution to accommodate Abdullah´s "Pashtun problem" could be found in a switchover to a parliamentary-democracy he says he wants to create by changing the country´s constitution. "It will give the chance for better accountability, it will be good for the people´s participation -- so that has been part of our agenda including bigger room, better room for the political parties," he said. Such a setup would expand the powers of Afghanistan´s parliament, creating new roles to accommodate potential allies.

Dressed in a smart grey suit Abdullah appeared confident that the prize that eluded him in 2009 was within his grasp on this occasion, adding that he isn´t overly concerned so far about reports of fraud. "We´re watching it, we´re monitoring it. There is a system and hopefully everybody tries to make the system work," he said.

Many critics have questioned whether Abdullah, who fought the Taliban when they were in power from 1996-2001, can accomplish his stated ambition of negotiating a settlement with the militants. Responding to the doubts, he said: "I would say that the election has taken place already, that in itself was a rejection of the Talibanisation of the country and a rejection of violence. "I hope that everyone has drawn the right lesson from the elections and they hopefully boost the legitimacy of the Afghan administration, and then the Afghan administration will be taken seriously by friends and foes alike."

And he remained insistent that, unlike Karzai, who has been accused of backsliding on human rights issues, he would make no such concessions to hardliners, particularly with regard to women´s rights. "Compromising fundamental values is out of the question. These are values for which are people have made sacrifices for and these are achievements of the people of Afghanistan. "Making sacrifices is one thing but to sacrifice the rights of the people under any illusion of achieving peace will not achieve any peace.

Afghan presidential election partial results expected today

KABUL: A frontrunner to succeed Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said his one time rival should continue to serve a role in politics and that he wouldn´t pursue "vengeance" against the man he claims stole the last election.

A former ophthalmologist and resistance fighter against invading Soviet forces in the 1980s, Abdullah Abdullah served as Karzai´s foreign minister from late 2001 to 2005.

Following the 2009 poll, which was widely discredited as massively fraudulent by the international community, Abdullah accused Karzai of "stealing" the vote. Abdullah along with former World Bank economist Ashraf Ghani are seen as the two leading candidates in the race to succeed Karzai, with more than seven million people defying bad weather and Taliban threats to vote last week.

Observers have long suspected Karzai of coveting a key role in the country´s politics after leaving the presidency. These suspicions have been fuelled, in part, by the construction of a lavish new house for him near the presidential palace and the nomination of his brother Qayyum as a candidate.

Though Qayyum dropped out of the race, and his next anointed successor, Zalmai Rasoul, is believed to have fallen into third place behind the two leaders, Karzai is still seen as important to Abdullah´s effort to secure the president´s southern Pashtun base, the largest ethnic group.
Abdullah, who was born to an ethnic Pashtun father and a Tajik mother, is more associated with the northern Tajiks.

Speaking to AFP in his Kabul home, Abdullah hinted Karzai would remain at the heart of the country´s affairs. "The president of Afghanistan will have a role in the future. I´m not talking about an administrative role, I´m talking about a role in the politics of the country, a role at the national level, and he has served the country for the past 13 years. "So that is something that is natural. What shape that role will take will depend on his decision", he said.

Asked whether he would be inclined to seek prosecution of Karzai or his brothers, who have been dogged by major corruption allegations for years, he added: "I would not go through that line that will be politics of vengeance and revenge and retribution. Our priority of the future government will be to deal with the priorities of the nation."

The first partial results are expected later Sunday, with both camps expressing optimism of winning outright without the need for a second round, triggered if no candidate gains more 50 percent of the estimated seven million votes cast. A potential solution to accommodate Abdullah´s "Pashtun problem" could be found in a switchover to a parliamentary-democracy he says he wants to create by changing the country´s constitution. "It will give the chance for better accountability, it will be good for the people´s participation -- so that has been part of our agenda including bigger room, better room for the political parties," he said. Such a setup would expand the powers of Afghanistan´s parliament, creating new roles to accommodate potential allies.

Dressed in a smart grey suit Abdullah appeared confident that the prize that eluded him in 2009 was within his grasp on this occasion, adding that he isn´t overly concerned so far about reports of fraud. "We´re watching it, we´re monitoring it. There is a system and hopefully everybody tries to make the system work," he said.

Many critics have questioned whether Abdullah, who fought the Taliban when they were in power from 1996-2001, can accomplish his stated ambition of negotiating a settlement with the militants. Responding to the doubts, he said: "I would say that the election has taken place already, that in itself was a rejection of the Talibanisation of the country and a rejection of violence. "I hope that everyone has drawn the right lesson from the elections and they hopefully boost the legitimacy of the Afghan administration, and then the Afghan administration will be taken seriously by friends and foes alike."

And he remained insistent that, unlike Karzai, who has been accused of backsliding on human rights issues, he would make no such concessions to hardliners, particularly with regard to women´s rights. "Compromising fundamental values is out of the question. These are values for which are people have made sacrifices for and these are achievements of the people of Afghanistan. "Making sacrifices is one thing but to sacrifice the rights of the people under any illusion of achieving peace will not achieve any peace.

Afghanistan begins voting in presidential elections

KABUL: Afghans have begun voting in the country's third presidential election to choose a successor to Hamid Karzai, who has led the country since the fall of the Taliban in 2001.

The Taliban have rejected the election as a foreign plot, and urged their fighters to attack polling staff, voters and security forces.

The NATO coalition force is pulling out its last 51,000 combat troops this year, leaving Afghan forces to battle the resilient Taliban insurgency without their help.

Poll security is a major concern following a string of high-profile attacks in the capital Kabul, most recently a suicide bombing at the Interior Ministry on Wednesday that killed six police officers.

Interior Minister Omar Daudzai said all 400,000 of Afghanistan's police, army and intelligence services were being deployed to ensure security around the country.

The polling would end at 4 PM.

 

Afghan presidential election underway

KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai cast his vote Saturday in the election that marks the start of his country’s first-ever democratic transfer of power, as he steps down after serving the maximum two terms in office.

Poling in Afghanistan started Saturday morning at 7.00 A.M which will continue until evening at 4.00 P.M without break.

Chief Afghan Election Commissioner was the first cast his vote, while a long queue of the men and women voters seen waiting to cast their votes.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai after casting his vote said, "I cast my vote, I feel happy and proud as a citizen of Afghanistan," he said after voting in a school near the presidential palace in Kabul."

Today is an important day for our future, the future of our country. I urge the Afghan nation to go to the polling station despite the rain, cold weather and enemy threats... and to take the country another step towards success.

"Karzai has vowed to stay neutral in the election and oversee a free and fair vote, despite allegations of massive fraud in the 2009 poll when he retained power after a long and disputed process.

The president, who has ruled since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, says he will live as a private citizen in Afghanistan after leaving the palace, but he is expected to retain extensive political influence.

In the first hour of voting there were no major attacks from Taliban insurgents who have vowed to target the election. Security forces across the country were on alert to protect voters, election staff and polling stations.

Historic presidential poll begins in Afghanistan

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  AP An Afghan woman casts her vote at a polling station in Jalalabad east of Kabul, Afghanistan, on Saturday. 
   
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  AP Afghan policemen take positions a day before the elections in Kabul on Friday.

Thousands of Afghans lined up at polling centres in Kabul from early morning to cast their ballots.

Afghanistan began voting Saturday for a new president amid fears of violence and insecurity.

Thousands of Afghans lined up at polling centres in Kabul from early morning to cast their ballots.

“This is a very good day for Afghans. People are going to elect their president and provincial council members,” Election Commission chief Yousuf Nooristani said.

“I ask my countrymen to go and vote.” Abdul Hadi Ghazniwal, 38, standing in a long queue at a voting station, said he was voting for change.

Jamshid Khan, 24, another Kabul resident, said he was not afraid of the Taliban’s threat to disrupt the election.

“I am here to vote for a candidate and I am not scared of the threats,” he said.

The voting began without incident, but insecurity and fraud remain the top concerns for election day, according to officials.

About 12 million voters are eligible to cast ballots at some 6,400 polling centres across the country, according to IEC. Around 400,000 security forces have been deployed.

There are eight presidential candidates, including opposition leader Abdullah Abdullah, former World Bank technocrat Ashraf Ghani and former foreign minister Zalmai Rassoul.

Outgoing president Hamid Karzai, who is barred by the constitution from seeking a third term, cast his ballot at Amani High School.

On Friday, two foreign journalists working for Associated Press were shot, one of whom died, in eastern Afghanistan.