Posted on 10/10/2004 6:34:56 PM PDT by politicalvanguard.com
International observers have endorsed Afghanistan's first presidential election, rejecting opposition calls for a new poll amid reports of fraud. The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said demands by 15 of the 18 presidential candidates to annul the poll were "unjustified".
The local Free and Fair Elections Foundation of Afghanistan (FEFA) said the poll was "fairly democratic".
However, OSCE Ambassador Robert Barry said "the candidates' demand to nullify the election is unjustified and would not do service to the people of Afghanistan who came out yesterday, at great personal risk, to vote".
Meanwhile, FEFA - the single largest observer group - said that "a fairly democratic environment has generally been observed in the overall majority of the polling centres".
The UN, which helped organise the poll, has praised the "massive" turnout in the election.
More than 10 million people were registered to vote, many of them refugees living in Pakistan and Iran.
The ousted Taleban regime has dismissed the election as foreign-sponsored and has said it will continue its armed struggle.
However, fears that militants linked to the Taleban would carry out their threat to sabotage the vote appear to have been largely unfounded.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
Wonder how they'll rate the US election November 2nd ?
Huh?
Does this mean Jimmy Carter has blessed the election?
Jimmy Carter registered the refugees living in Pakistan and Iran.
The Democrats are ordering vats of disappearing ink even as we speak.
BTTT
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