Poll: Most view Karzai government corrupt

PRINCETON, N.J., Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai has a huge task to address perceptions of corruption Afghans have about his government, Gallup Poll results indicate.

The survey taken in Afghanistan in June before the fraud-marred August election indicated 81 percent of respondents said corruption was rampant through all levels of government, the Princeton, N.J., polling agency said Tuesday.

Karzai's runoff opponent, former Afghan foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, dropped out of the second round of voting, saying he did not believe the Nov. 7 election would be fraud-free. After Abdullah dropped out, the runoff was canceled.

In addition, 69 percent of survey participants said the government is not doing enough to fight corruption -- which Gallup indicated was basically unchanged from 2008.

The poll also indicated most Afghans surveyed said they thought the level of corruption was about the same -- 28 percent -- or higher, 50 percent.

Results are based on face-to-face interviews with 1,000 adults in June 2009 in Afghanistan. The margin of error is 4 percentage points.