Karzai Intensifies Campaign Against Elections Officials

[Bragi]

Source: NY Times

...Within hours of the announcement of the results Wednesday, Attorney General Mohammad Ishaq Aloko denounced the election commission for “prematurely” releasing the results and sharply criticized the United Nations mission here for endorsing the returns.

Mr. Aloko suggested that his office might annul the results, or alternatively bring criminal charges against candidates who he believed had won seats by fraud.

United Nations and Afghan election officials say that under the Afghan Constitution, the final say on election decisions belongs to the Independent Election Commission, which manages elections, and the Electoral Complaints Commission, which investigates reports of violations of election law.

There is no provision for the government to annul elections, and once parliament convenes, which is not expected before next week, members of Parliament might have immunity from prosecution...

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/26/world/asia/26afghan.html?_r=1&hp

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Can't imagine what all the fuss is about. Extra-constitutional annulment of voting results, criminally charging winning candidates, immunity from prosecution for sitting legislators, it's all part of any robust democratic process, for sure. Well done, Mr. Karzai. Onward and upward.

[DCKit]

1. What you said.

Mission accomplished - a fully Americanized "democracy".

[Bragi]

2. The Brazen'ness of it is remarkable

Turns out the requirement is to pretend to have elections.

This is not hard to do even for the most repressive States, as long as they control some visible tribal or other sub-national groups of supporters.