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Controversy over allegedly corrupt elections from Ireland to Afghanistan

by Marco Chown Oved

Article published on the 2009-11-06 Latest update 2009-11-06 15:27 TU

A man passes a wall of campaign posters in Kabul on 17 August, 2009
(Photo: Reuters/Adrees Latif)

Was the Irish referendum rigged? Is it time to pull out of Afghanistan, or is it more important than ever to stay?

The Lisbon Treaty continues to provoke reader feedback. Mark M from Dublin says that the results of the Irish referendum were manipulated, much as recent elections were in Afghanistan and Iran.

“Within hours of the result, a video showing the removal of a ballot box prior to vote counting appeared on 'Youtube'. The person removing the box was not accompanied by either gardaí or anyone else,” he writes.

“The video was initially decried as a 'hoax' of some sort, but when views of it passed the twenty-thousand mark, the returning officer for the area in question felt obliged to offer the explanation that the (un-named) individual forgot documentation that should have accompanied the ballot box and was going back to get them.”

“It is my understanding that a number of groups are persuing (sic) these irregularities with officials at present.”

RFI will be following this story.

Turning to Afghanistan, the tumult surrounding a second round of the Presidential election was accompanied by an increase in violence targeting Western forces. But this shouldn't shake the resolve of the countries participating in ISAF, the international force there.

“Theirs is a mission to win hearts and minds. It doesn’t always go smoothly. The majority of this country support our troops and so they should,” writes Mr Bowling from the UK.

Britons sometimes forget what a sacrifice their armed forces are making, because the war is so far from daily concerns at home, he writes.

“Some can moan about their working conditions [but] my support is with the forces ... I remember the terror attacks well and appreciate the goal.”

It’s a “shame we aint being rationed here might shake the populas (sic) up a bit."

Writing from an Australian perspective, Sheikh Haron doesn't agree, and bemoans his country’s participation in the Afghan war.

“The majority of the Australians are decent and they have kind hearts,” he writes. “Some politicians take advantage of these good hearts and they brainwash our young men and women sending our soldiers to other countries which have never attacked Australia … Those soldiers have not betrayed Australia, some of you politicians have betrayed our country.”

News about RFI

RFI's Laura-Angela Bagnetto is in Sharm el-Sheikh to cover the China-Africa conference from 6 to 12 November.

Tony Cross will still go to Afghanistan to report, despite the cancellation of the second round of the presidential election. Check out our analysis of the events that have led to it and its prospects for success and keep up with our reports in our special dossier.

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