The Afghan election is fast becoming a story not about who will get elected,  but whether the international monitors can be trusted to do their job in assessing the fairness and legitimacy of the election.

As much as four weeks ago, I was reporting on the widespread election corruption practiced by the campaign of President Karzai.  But the western media were reluctant to take up the story. Sure some stories were written.  But few in a form that questioned the election itself.  Under pressure from governments and government sponsored western experts in Kabul, the western media and many western experts pulled their punches.  No one wanted to be blamed for further de-stabilizing this already fragile country by honest reporting of what was going on. But during this whole period my contacts with individuals and in civil organizations reported that the election was poisoned by the corrupt practices of the Karzai campaign.  To me the consequences of not facing up to these problems is much greater than the fall out from revealing the truth.

It is clear to all who care to look that this election has been thoroughgoing fraud.  So my election desk is today declaring the election a failure and calls for further counting to be shut down.  A new election must be held.

International observers acknowledge that it cannot meet the universal standard up until now of “free and fair”.  Over two weeks ago the word was put out and about that a lesser standard of “legitimacy” would be applied at the whim of western nations.

However any attempt to declare this election legitimate is a farce.  Nor can the election of Karzai be accepted as “credible under the circumstances”.  Any new standard that attempts to give this election a stamp of approval, however conditional, will make a mockery of international supervision and monitoring.  And of elections themselves in countries struggling to recovery from former trauma.

There are influential international voices in Kabul trying their level best to convince the international monitors to give  the election some kind of stamp of approval.  Some of these are Canadian. They must not get their way.  Not only will the election and the new government be devoid of any credibility, but the whole already fragile Afghan policy of the west will be in ruins.  Perhaps a new wave of monitors need to descend on the country to monitor the international monitors now there.  Or perhaps Obama, Brown, and Harper need to get the word out that a cover up is not acceptable.

A new vote must be held.  The sooner that is clear to all the better.  If the international observers themselves are not up to the job of making this clear, governments themselves must take a stand.  And the sooner the better.  Further prolonging this farce simply adds to instability and encourages violent opposition to the whole reconstructive effort.