U.S. must respond to fraudulent Afghan election

An increasing number of sane voices in the political realm have been shouting that democracy is the solution to one of the most war-torn countries in the world - Afghanistan. Yet, the latest Afghan elections and the Obama administration's response to it do not mark any urgency in that direction.

Although the very fact that Afghanistan held elections amidst violence and bloodshed is an achievement, the tarnished elections have not only undermined the credibility of the current regime but also a mismanaged country's trust in democracy. It is alarming that the West, especially the United States, has ignored the treacherous cheating in the elections when democracy is the only alternative to religious fanatics like the Taliban and al-Qaida. Faulty elections will only harm the goal the United States is trying to achieve.

Before analyzing the corrupt elections, it's important to look at the preceding government. The last group of democratic leaders consisted of warlords, tribal leaders and drug cartel chiefs. All the promises for better infrastructure, education and security were never honored. If anybody benefited from the last democratic regime, it was the leaders. Afghan President Hamid Karzai's brother was at least one of the beneficiaries of his brother's political clout. He earned millions from Afghan real estate and lives comfortably in Maryland. The last Afghan government was seen as a bunch of American cronies who never stood up for Afghanistan's interests. Therefore, it was more important than ever for Afghans to feel represented - especially when they are coming out to vote despite threats from the Taliban and al-Qaida. However, contrary to all expectations, a blatantly fraudulent election took place where the democratic leaders perpetuated their own power.

Hamid Karzai is not afraid to use his power for personal gain. He received more than a 50 percent lead in votes over his closest rival, Abdullah Abdullah, and interestingly, according to Afghan electoral law, Abdullah cannot challenge Karzai for another run-off because of the margin of victory. Moreover, numerous flawed polling sites have disproportionately supported Karzai. For instance, when investigators examined Kandahar's Shorabak district polling stations, they found evidence of ballot stuffing in each one of them. Some polling stations even showed 100 percent turnout, which might seem far-fetched for any war torn country - especially for elections marred by violence and blood. Even a U.N.-based election committee found severe discrepancies with the election.

Afghans will not be the only ones to feel the repercussions of the elections. William Hague, shadow foreign secretary, predicts correctly that troops in Afghanistan will have to pay a "price in blood" if the fraudulent elections are rubber-stamped. Hague also alleges that there are already threats against the troops from the supporters of other candidates who feel they have been cheated by the lack of a free and fair election. The complacent haste of the Obama administration and the British to accept the elections while failing to enforce effective electoral mechanisms undermines their standing in Afghan eyes. Lack of trust is already a problem that the United States is facing, and the current strategy will only worsen it.

Billions of American taxpayers' dollars are going into Afghanistan. Unfortunately, much of the money has failed to produce desired results and American support for fake elections will only waste more money. This, therefore, begs the question: why isn't the United States calling for another election, or at least acknowledging that the previous one was corrupt? Perhaps the issue is a trifle for the administration, or perhaps a more well-thought-out strategy is needed to deal with the situation. However, the fact remains that some form of action is required to allay fear in Afghans.

Elections are a pivotal element of any democracy. For an Afghan democratic institution, especially one so nascent, elections need to be credible so that the historical tribal loyalties can be broken, the government can start caring about the local needs and most importantly, a viable institution and rival to the Taliban and al-Qaida can form. A re-election, or at least a recount, is the only solution, not only because Afghans need it, but also for the United States to achieve its goal of a stable Afghanistan.