For Immediate Release, April 2, 2010
Contact: Lauren Sucher, 202/429-3822 or lsucher@usip.org

(Washington) - Scott Worden, United Nations appointed member of the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) that found flaws in last year’s election results, is available for comment on the recent remarks of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, the state of governance and future elections in Afghanistan. Worden currently serves as senior adviser with the U.S. Institute of Peace's (USIP) Rule of Law Center of Innovation.

Commenting on Karzai's alteration of the ECC composition and the recent reaction by the Afghanistan parliament, Worden stated:

The parliament's vote to reject Karzai's election decree was a positive step for the electoral process and for better governance in Afghanistan.  The electoral process in 2009 had significant flaws and both domestic and international observers recommended a range of needed reforms.

Unfortunately, the decree that Karzai pushed through in February did not incorporate any of those recommendations, and instead concentrated more power over the electoral process in the presidency. The fact that parliament objected to the decree shows that they care about reforms that would increase the legitimacy of their own election and that they are rightfully concerned about moves by the president that would undermine the parliament's lawmaking powers.

Worden is available for additional comment:

Cell: 703/944-3348
Office: 202/429-3811
E-mail: sworden@usip.org

Additional Resources

• "Delays Will Not Improve Afghan Elections," USIP Peace Brief
  This February 2010 publication examines the lessons learned in the 2009 Afghanistan presidential and provincial elections and discusses how they can improve future elections.
• USIP in Afghanistan
  USIP's Web page on Afghanistan includes summaries of the Institute's work on the ground and a complete list of USIP resources.