Rep. Paul Hodes (D-NH) called today for the State Department to investigate the election in Afghanistan. In a press release, Hodes said:
Ensuring that the elections are free, fair, and accurate is essential to the security of our troops and the future of the region. I strongly urge Secretary Clinton and the State Department to fully investigate these allegations of fraud and ensure that the people of Afghanistan are governed by leaders that they, the Afghan people, have chosen.
The full text of Hodes’ letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is below:
Dear Secretary Clinton,
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) recently announced that there will be a runoff of the August 20, 2009 Afghan elections. I write to express my concern about the August elections and the comments from UNAMA members on potential fraud in the election.
There has been a public dispute over the transparency and accuracy of the elections results, stemming from accusations made by former U.N. deputy special representative in Afghanistan, Peter Galbraith, toward his former supervisor and U.N. mission chief, Kai Eide. In excerpts from a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon published in The New York Times on September 30, 2009, Mr. Galbraith accused Mr. Eide of blocking anti-fraud efforts, which Galbraith said would have forced a second round of voting if carried out properly.
These accusations are extremely troubling. A democratic election with accountability, oversight, and transparency is crucial for the stability of Afghanistan, particularly as it relates to U.S. efforts to eliminate the threat of terrorist attacks on American citizens by Al Qaeda. In light of the need for a runoff election, as well as the accusations of falsified activity, I am very concerned about the integrity of upcoming elections, and the effect continued fraudulent activities would have on the entire region.
A recent article from Roll Call also cited Senator John Kerry and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel’s concerns about the election. According to the article, both have recently emphasized the importance of the runoff election in the stability of the region and the effectiveness of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan.
I support the work of the State Department and UNAMA to guarantee that the Afghan elections are held with the highest level of oversight, transparency and accountability to ensure the future stability of the representative government in Afghanistan.
As the Administration is re-evaluating the future of the United States’ involvement in Afghanistan, I respectfully request to be informed what actions the State Department is taking to ensure that the fraud accusations made by Mr. Galbraith and Mr. Eide are fully investigated. I would also like to be informed of the work that the State Department is doing in partnership with the United Nations to guarantee the accuracy and legitimacy of the upcoming runoff election. Thank you in advance for your consideration of this request.
