So much evidence of fraud has surfaced after last week’s critical Afghan election that many are beginning to question the validity of the entire process. Videos have shown ballot-stuffing, officials being bribed, workers being detained, and officials bargaining over the price of a vote. Candidates in the province of Kandahar have even accused the president’s brother, Ahmed Wali Karzai, of writing a list of winners before the election was even held. So far, the Election Complaints Commission has received more than 3,000 protests; over half were judged to possibly affect the outcome of the ballot. “From an overall democracy-building perspective, it does not look rosy,” said one diplomat. The reported fraud could affect results in one-third of Afghanistan's provinces.
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