Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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September 2, 2009

Envoys in Paris to Discuss Afghanistan
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=265EC47:A6F02AD83191E1608AF44197D55E93FA0531BB26A5003E7B&
 
US envoy Richard Holbrooke, other officials expected to discuss recent
Afghan election, among other issues 
International envoys are meeting in Paris Wednesday to discuss the
situation in Afghanistan. Officials say these discussions are part of a
regular series of meetings among special representatives who focus on
the nation. Richard Holbrooke (file photo)U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke
and other officials are expected to discuss the recent Afghan election,
among other issues. In related news, tribal leaders in southern
Afghanistan have accused police of shutting down polling sites and
stuffing election boxes with thousands of ballots marked for Afghan
President Hamid Karzai. The New York Times (on its Web site Tuesday
night) quoted the governor of Shorbak district, Delaga Bariz, as saying
that Bariz tribesman in the area had decided to endorse Mr. Karzai's
rival Abdullah Abdullah. But, the governor said, aides to Mr. Karzai's
brother, the leader of the Kandahar provincial council, Ahmed Wali, shut
down all of the district's 45 polling sites on election day. The
governor and other tribal leaders claim that almost 24,000 ballots were
shipped to Kabul from Shorback district, despite no one being allowed to
vote. And they charge that every ballot was for Mr. Karzai. The
accusations are among the most serious that have been publicized against
Mr. Karzai and the electoral system, which faces fraud complaints from
across the country. Mr. Karzai and his aides deny any wrongdoing.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP.


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