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NATO chief calls for free elections in Afghanistan
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/19/us-afghanistan-nato-idUSBRE89I0QV20121019NATO chief calls for free elections in Afghanistan
By Adrian Croft
MAZAR-E SHARIF, Afghanistan | Fri Oct 19, 2012 9:17am EDT
(Reuters) - NATO's chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen urged the Afghan government on Friday to strive for free, fair and transparent elections in the 2014 presidential poll, saying they marked a critical juncture in the country's quest for peace.
His words came a day after President Hamid Karzai suggested foreign members be removed from the election watchdog, in a step that could be seen as bolstering his grip on power.
"I think it is essential for building trust and confidence between the Afghan people and the Afghan government that the presidential elections take place in a manner that is free, fair and transparent," Rasmussen said in an interview with Reuters on the airstrip at Camp Marmal, a sprawling military base near Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan.
He spoke at the end of a two-day visit to Afghanistan with senior diplomats from 35 countries that supply troops to the NATO-led force in Afghanistan.
unhappycamper comment: Since the United Stares pays for around 70% of NATO's occupation costs (and 100% of American occupation costs) I would expect NATO to parrot the US stance on 2014.
