U.N. says fears of unfair Afghan poll well-founded

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Opposition fears of an unfair election in Afghanistan this year are well-founded, and a rigged poll would fuel political instability and undermine support for democracy, a top U.N. envoy warned on Thursday.

"All involved -- the government, the opposition, and the international community -- must understand the costs of a flawed and unfair election process," Kai Eide, the U.N. Special Envoy to Afghanistan, told the Security Council.

"The result (of a rigged poll) would be prolonged political instability when stability is more than ever required ... (and) would create doubt in the minds of many Afghans about the value of democratic processes when confidence is needed," he said.

Afghanistan has scheduled presidential elections for August, with violence in the country at its highest level since U.S.-led forces ousted the Taliban in late 2001.

Eide appealed to President Hamid Karzai and his government to assure the opposition that the election will be legitimate.

"The opposition has concerns that are real and well-founded," he said. "The Afghan government must demonstrate that it will do its utmost to reassure the opposition that elections will be fair and will be transparent and that the resources of incumbency will not be misused."

BAN URGES STRONGER PAKISTAN TIES

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told Reuters in an interview that he wanted Karzai to "strengthen the relation with the neighbouring countries, particularly Pakistan."

"I am encouraged by such a strong cooperative relationship between President (Asif Ali) Zardari of Pakistan and Karzai," he said.

U.S. and other military forces in Afghanistan see the elimination of militant support in lawless northwestern Pakistan as essential to winning the war in Afghanistan.

Ban will attend an international conference on Afghanistan in The Hague on March 31. Afghanistan's other key neighbour, Iran, was invited to the meeting by its old foe the United States and is also expected to participate.

"Iran ... can play a constructive role," Ban said.

Earlier this month the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan accused Iran of supporting the Taliban insurgency. Tehran denies suggestions that it is fomenting Afghan instability.

Insurgent attacks in Afghanistan have spread from the south and east to the outskirts of Kabul, forcing Washington to consider new options including a counter-insurgency push.

"The security situation has deteriorated over the last months," Eide said, adding that the number of attacks rose by 42 percent in December and by 75 percent in January compared with the same months a year earlier.

"We have to expect an intense fighting season starting a few weeks from now," the U.N. envoy told the Security Council.

A 40-percent increase in civilian deaths in 2008 compared with 2007 was another serious concern, Eide said. Insurgents are responsible for most of the deaths, but international forces operating in Afghanistan also have killed civilians.

With violence spreading, U.S. President Barack Obama has authorized an additional 17,000 U.S. troops for Afghanistan, on top of the 38,000 already there. They are flanked by just over 30,000 troops from other NATO countries and allies.

Eide said it was possible more troops would mean more civilian deaths: "Additional troops will mean more fighting."

(Additional reporting by Sean Maguire; Editing by Xavier Briand)