Locals: Karzai Brother Took Ballot Boxes

[tekisui]

Source: UPI

KABUL, Afghanistan, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai's brother shut down polling places in a district where the local leaders supported his opponent, the area's governor says.

Delaga Bariz, governor of the Shorabak district of the southern city of Kandahar, told Wednesday's Washington Post that the president's half brother Ahmed Wali -- the leader of the Kandahar provincial council and the most powerful man in southern Afghanistan -- closed all 45 of the district's polling places after tribal leaders threw their support to Karzai's opponent, Abdullah Abdullah.

Bariz alleged aides to Wali confiscated the ballot boxes and later stuffed them with 23,900 ballots, all marked for Karzai.

"Not a single person in Shorabak District cast a ballot -- not a single person," Bariz told the Post. "Mr. Karzai's people stuffed all the ballot boxes."

more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/09/02/Locals-Karzai-brother-took-ballot-boxes/UPI-19871251893565/

[Kahuna]

1. He learned well from jeb. nt

[gratuitous]

2. After Florida 2000, the U.S. can't say a word

A candidate's brother fixing things in a district or state he controls so the candidate can claim victory? I've seen this play out before. About all we're missing is a high court stacked with judges appointed by the candidate's father.

[PVnRT]

3. So....it's OK to just let it happen without protest?

[tekisui]

4. I think this is what led to Holbrooke and Karzai having a heated

meeting. Holbrooke wanted to see a fair election. Karzai wanted to keep his power. Now, we will be forced to defend an illegitimate leader.

[gratuitous]

6. It's hard to see how the U.S. would have any credibility

What are we going to say - count the votes of the people? Karzai can just smile and point to Bush v. Gore, and say that there should be no cloud to his claim that he got more votes. Even the U.S. Supreme Court agrees with his position!

No, if Karzai engineers a majority vote count using fraud, deception, and vote stealing, the U.S. really can't say that his election is illegitimate without calling into question the results of the 2000 and 2004 balloting in our own country. Just one more thing I need to remember to thank "Justices" Scalia and Thomas should I ever have the misfortune to run into either of them.

[Javaman]

5. what do you expect from the mayor of kabul? he was installed by moron*.

the children of thieves.