Abdullah drops Afghan Presidential bid
-
-
- current89
- added this
Speaking at a news conference, Mr. Abdullah said that the Afghan people should not accept the results of an election run by the country’s Independent Electoral Commission, which has been accused of favoring Mr. Karzai.
“I will not participate in the Nov. 7 election,” Mr. Abdullah said, because a “transparent election is not possible.”
Mr. Abdullah said that Mr. Karzai’s government had not been legitimate since May, when the initial round of balloting was originally to have taken place.
Before Mr. Abdullah’s announcement, American and other Western diplomats said they were worried that a defiant statement by Mr. Abdullah could lead to violence and undermine Mr. Karzai’s legitimacy, and they were urging him to bow out gracefully. Obama administration officials have scrambled for weeks to end the deadlock, trying to ensure a smooth government transition as President Obama weighs whether to increase the American military presence in Afghanistan.
People close to Mr. Abdullah said that his representative met with Mr. Karzai on Saturday but that they were unable to make any progress on the issue that brought the two campaigns to loggerheads: Mr. Abdullah’s demands that the Afghan election system be overhauled to head off more fraud in the second round. After the first round of voting, a United Nations-backed panel threw out nearly a million of Mr. Karzai’s ballots — one-third of his total — on the ground that they were fake.
end of excerpt
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/02/world/asia/02afghan.html?hp
Source: The New York Times
-
-
UrbanGypsy
-
This is why term limits are important. If Karzai was in fact elected on a fraudulent election then limits on his term will prevent him from running indefinitely.
I just hope the Afghan people can understand that it can be tough to lose, but that it should not justify bloody and violent rebellion. Just hang in there and try again next time. I remember having to put up with 8 years of Bush, it was tough but we all have to respect the process.
- 2 years ago
-
UrbanGypsy
-
-
afitzgerald
-
http://blogs.current.com/news/2009/11/02/now-afghanistan-has-a-legitimate-presid...
Covered over on the News Blog: "Now Afghanistan has a legitimate President?"
- 2 years ago
-
afitzgerald
-
-
samthesixth
-
He got bought.
- 2 years ago
-
samthesixth
-
-
Hannah_LDN
-
This morning I heard Karzai's spokesman say, "Although Abdullah Abdullah has stepped down we should see this process through to the end, in the name of democracy."
What a complete farce. Even if nobody but one person turns out to 'vote', Karzai will win by having the 'majority' vote.
But then again am I really surprised considering Karzai was instated by America in the first place?
In the name of democracy my ass. - 2 years ago
-
Hannah_LDN
-
-
Allorno1
-
So how will this influence Obama's decisions?
- 2 years ago
-
Allorno1
-
-
bastional
-
Allorno1:
My thoughts exactly. How will this effect Obama’s decision to send troops to land of the dead empires? He already had a tough decision to make.
- 2 years ago
-
bastional
-
-
eldamon
-
Karzai made in offer he "couldn't" refuse I'd bet.
- 2 years ago
-
eldamon
-
-
revolutioninamerica
-
that country is fucked
- 2 years ago
-
revolutioninamerica
-
-
hoosierdaddy
-
Hard to blame him. It doesn't look like a fair election is possible, does it?
- 2 years ago
-
hoosierdaddy
