By Jerome Starkey in Gardez
Afghan women appear to be massively outnumbering male voters in one of the most conservative parts of the country, amid allegations of widespread fraud designed to re-elect President Hamid Karzai in next year’s polls.
Western officials admit the figures are “completely implausible”, given the region’s entrenched Pashtun values which make it difficult for women to register in person. “We know the figures are hyped but no one is doing anything about it,” said a diplomat in Kabul.
The United Nations admitted fraud is happening. In Gardez, Paktia’s provincial capital, male voters told The Independent they were encouraged to register their female relatives, in absentia. “They said I could just give them a list of the women in my family, and they would give me the registration cards,” said one.
“I could see lists and lists of women’s names on the table. They said they were under pressure from Kabul to register lots of women.” Strict election rules require men and women to register themselves. Men have to provide photographs and fingerprints. Women are required to provide only fingerprints and there are dedicated women-only registration centres.
The practice raises the prospect of phantom voters being counted in the 2009 elections. The UN has no official oversight role and none of the foreign diplomatic missions are in charge of monitoring the registration process, although Britain is helping bankroll the operation. (Read more)
