Voter gripes abound as Afghans count presidential ballots

More than 200 allegations of irregularities in last week’s presidential elections in Afghanistan have been registered, according to the independent commission set up to handle such complaints. Despite domestic accusations from one of the presidential candidates that the vote was rigged, the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan called the election “a very well-organized campaign.” “The Afghan-led independent electoral commission looks like it managed a pretty good process,” Ambassador Karl Eikenberry said Sunday

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Karzai’s record patchy in calm province

Agajan has a message for Afghanistan’s incumbent politicians. The turbaned, gap-toothed man may only be a humble shop-keeper, but on election day, Agajan will exercise his right and vote against the president. “I won’t vote for Hamid Karzai,” says Agajan, who according to local custom uses only one name.

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Karzai, rivals debate as Afghan elections near

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, heavily criticized last month for skipping a candidates’ debate, met two of his political rivals in a nationally televised debate Sunday night, just four days ahead of the war-torn country’s presidential elections.

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Karzai: Afghanistan to review criticized sharia law

Amid mounting pressure from the West, Afghan President Hamid Karzai says his government will review a recently approved version of a law that critics say legalizes marital rape and the U.S. president has called "abhorrent." “We understand the concerns of our allies in the international community,” Karzai told reporters Saturday.

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