Donor nations demand Afghan laws to ensure fair elections

Donor nations funding Afghanistan's recovery today piled pressure on the government to pass election laws seen as crucial to proving that the 12-year war and billions of dollars of aid money have not been wasted.
The laws, which will determine how April's presidential election is run, have been delayed for months in parliament, and the international community is increasingly concerned that the poll's credibility is at risk.
"We cannot stress enough the importance of a successful and democratic political transition next year and a credible and timely election," the US said in a statement at an aid meeting in Kabul.

"We urge the Afghan government and parliament to take the next critical steps and pass electoral legislation that provides for credible appointments of electoral officials and an independent complaints process."
The head of the UN mission in Afghanistan, Jan Kubis, said that "any further delay seriously risks jeopardising" preparations for the presidential election, which is scheduled for April 5.
Hamid Karzai, who has led Afghanistan since 2001, is due to step down after his maximum two terms as president, with a new leader taking over in the country's first-ever democratic transfer of power.

But the last election in 2009 was marred by massive fraud, and the international community fears that another flawed poll would wreck claims that the costly military and aid effort in Afghanistan has been worthwhile.

Donor nations and the Afghan government met today in Kabul to assess progress one year since an international conference in Tokyo pledged USD 16 billion of aid to the country on condition of widespread reforms.
Reforms to the Electoral Complaints Commission, which threw out one million fraudulent votes in the 2009 poll, are a key concern for donors, with some fearing parliament may approve legislation that actually weakens the watchdog.
No front-runners have emerged for the election and it remains unclear who will campaign to be the next president.
Among a long list of possible candidates are Qayum Karzai, the president's brother, Omar Daudzai, a former chief of staff, and warlord-turned-governor Atta Mohammad Noor.