Afghan's Karzai takes control of polls watchdog

Afghan's Karzai takes control of polls watchdog


Share Send Save Print [ Wednesday, 24 February 2010 ]

A move expected to raise concerns in the WestAfghan's Karzai takes control of polls watchdog

"Learning the lesson"

The amendment to the electoral law allows President Karzai to appoint all five members of the polling commission (File)

KABUL (AFP)

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has changed a law to give himself full control of a key election watchdog, in a move that has raised concerns in the West.

The amendment to the electoral law allows Karzai to appoint all five members of the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC), a body which threw out more than half a million votes cast for him in last year's fraud-tainted poll.

Under the previous law, three of the five ECC members were appointed by the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.

In the August election, the ECC threw out around one third or half a million votes cast for Karzai as fraudulent.

The move sparked a run-off that was cancelled when his only rival, Abdullah Abdullah, pulled out, accusing the Independent Election Commission (IEC) -- also appointed by Karzai -- of bias.

"With foreigners in the commission it was not a national body, nor was it an Afghan body. So to Afghanize the process, the president changed some articles of the law," Karzai's spokesman Siamak Herawi told AFP on Tuesday.

"Some articles of the law were amended and the president signed and approved it," Herawi said.

Asked who would appoint the panel under the new law, he said: "The president."