Fraud turns to farce
I hear that Gordon Brown has congratulated Afghan president Hamid Karzai on his reelection. There hasn't of course been an election, or not since the original fraudulent one three months ago when it's generally acknowledged that around a third of votes were rigged.
But that hasn't stopped Gordon. The key thing for the 'international community' from the beginning was to give the appearance that successful elections had taken place. That plan was scuppered when the widescale fraud was reported back on the nightly news bulletins, and when a huge row broke out between UN representatives about whether to accept these tainted election results.
The already problematic second round fell apart yesterday when Karzai's opponent, Abdullah Abdullah, withdrew. The choice _ to go ahead with an uncontested election or to simply declare Karzai the winner _was a no brainer. But now the western powers are stuck with a president lacking any democratic credentials who in truth they would all rather disappeared from the scene.
Still, if the emperor has no clothes, Gordon Brown and Hillary Clinton are certainly not going to be pointing that out. Much simpler to pretend that there really has been a free and fair election and that they have a proper president. So all the congratulations, the plans for a 'unifying programme for the future of Afghanistan', the hope that this will smooth the way for more troops from the US and Europe to fight in Afghanistan.
Because Karzai is essential for one reason only: to provide spurious democratic window dressing that allows the Nato/ISAF operation to continue its war. The generals in Britain and the US are all too well aware that public opinion is turning strongly against the war. That's why they are pushing for more troops now, before it is too late.
So in the Afghan election, where fraud has turned to farce, everyone is pretending there's nothing wrong. The worsening of the war continues to show that the opposite is the case.
posted by Lindsey German @ 11/02/2009 02:46:00 PM
2 Comments
2 Comments:
I wonder whether this talk about 'free and fair elections' is useful. After all, we in the West hardly manage to stage such processes successfully ourselves. Afghanistan itself has somehow to be granted the leeway to work out its own constitutional procedures, which might not be democratic in any widely recognised sense, but might bring a measure of peace, and the opportunity to advance an ancient and in many senses noble culture.
Please help and send in a letter of opposition! This government plans to privatise military training in one huge pfi and let arms dealers (Raytheon, Qinetiq)run it and amalamate all training to one place in Wales St Athan. The plans have been passed by the Vale of glamorgan Cllrs and the Welsh Assembly are not calling it in.
However, there is an inquiry into CPOs re St Athan DTC and Aerospace Park set for 12 January
Emyr Jones of the Planning Inspectorate held a preliminary meeting with Inquiry participants last week (3 Nov) and announced that the Inquiry would be held for about 3 weeks from 12 January in the Docks Offices in Barry.
There are 21 objectors notified at present, with several professional firms, as well as Llanmaes Community Council and Friends of the Earth (Barry & Vale).
The Inspector said the major reconstruction of the Weycock Cross junction and new Port Road approach had attracted many objections and he proposed to treat this part as a separate mini-Inquiry.
On the St Athan projects themselves, he said the Welsh Assembly Government would have to make a compelling case in the public interest for the compulsory purchases, and would have to show a clear idea of what the land is for, that resources will be available for the developments within a reasonable time-scale and no planning impediments exist that might block them.
The Inspector’s emphasis on his independence from the Welsh government is welcome. He asked for disclosure of contractual arrangements between the Assembly Government and Metrix.
The Inspector said he would allowfurther objectors to join the Inquiry, saying there is nothing to preclude others from taking part. He set 15th December as the date for submission of Statements of Case.
http://www.antimetrix.org/
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