* Karzai must assure opposition that election will be fair * U.N. registers sharp rise in attacks, civilian deaths By Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS, March 19 (Reuters) - Opposition fears of an unfair election in Afghanistan this year are well-founded, and a rigged poll would unleash a wave of political instability, a top U.N. envoy warned the Afghan government 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 during a debate on the country. The opposition's fears that they could heading towards an unfair election were "real and well-founded," he said. "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 added. 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 urged the European Union and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to accept the invitations they received to send observers. He also appealed to President Hamid Karzai and the Afghan government to do whatever was necessary to reassure the opposition that the election process 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." SHARP RISE IN ATTACKS Attacks in Afghanistan have been spreading from the south and east to the outskirts of the capital Kabul, forcing the United States to consider new policy options including a counter-insurgency push. "The security situation has deteriorated over the last months," Eide said. "A mild winter provided a suitable environment to keep up high levels of violence. And an early Ramadan allowed for a prolonged fighting season," he said, referring to the Muslim fasting month. He said the number of "security incidents" rose by 42 percent in December over the previous year and 75 percent in January. "The number of incidents in Kabul has, however, gone down, partly due to the improved performance of Afghan security forces," Eide said. "But we have to expect an intense fighting season starting a few weeks from now." The 40 percent increase in civilian deaths in 2008 compared with 2007 was another serious problem, Eide said. While most of those deaths have been caused by insurgents, many were caused by international forces operating in Afghanistan. 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, flanked by just over 30,000 troops from other NATO countries and allies. Eide said he hoped the increase in foreign troops would not lead to a rise in the number of civilian deaths. "I understand those who say that an increased troop level may reduce the requirement to use airpower and lead to a lower number of civilian casualties," he said. "But we should admit the danger of the opposite happening. Additional troops will mean more fighting." (Editing by Patricia Zengerle)
People form a human chain during a rally in Madrid March 17, 2009. The rally was held ahead of the sixth anniversary of the start of the Iraq war, which began ...
