(KABUL) — Afghanistan's president has raised concern he's reneging on promises to clean up corruption by taking control of a formerly independent body that monitors election fraud, complicating Obama administration efforts to erode support for the Taliban.

In another effort to win the trust of Afghans as a mass offensive continues against the Taliban in the south, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan went on national television Tuesday to apologize for an airstrike that killed civilians.

President Hamid Karzai signed a decree last week giving him the power to appoint all members of the Electoral Complaints Commission, a group previously dominated by U.N. appointees that uncovered massive fraud on behalf of Karzai in last year's presidential election.

The decree, which was made public Monday, suggests that Karzai wants to tighten control of the electoral process ahead of parliamentary balloting next September. The election was due in May but was postponed because foreign donors would not help pay for it without reforms.

"This is bad news for democracy," said Gerard Russell, a former U.N. political adviser who resigned over disputes surrounding the August presidential election. "Basically if President Karzai wishes it, this could prevent free elections ever being held in Afghanistan."

Western diplomats based in Kabul expressed similar concerns but would not allow their names to be published because they were not authorized to speak about the issue to the media.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said Canada is troubled by reports that the decree could diminish the level of independence of the Electoral Complaints Commission.