Kabul’s Catch 22
David Blackburn 11:47am
Sky News reports that the Afghan run-off will be cancelled after Dr Abdullah Abdullah pulled out of the vote. It’s unclear whether this report is totally accurate; but if it is it hardly comes as a surprise. As Sky’s Alex Crawford, quoting a senior source, says:
"There is absolutely, his words, 'zero appetite' for a run-off election with just one unopposed candidate and, therefore, a foregone conclusion as to who was going to be elected."It would be a return of the current president, Hamid Karzai."
There was no guarantee that the second election would avoid the corruption and security issues that marred the first, but where does this leave the Kabul government and the wider Afghan project? With or without elections, the Kabul government and the agents of the nascent Afghan state are totally discredited, unable to extend their writ beyond the confines of Kabul’s security precinct. Karzai is the perpetual problem, but he alone is strong enough to form a government. If ever there was an indication that centralisation does not provide the route to long-term stability then this it.
UPDATE: Karzai has been declared President.
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Vulture
November 2nd, 2009 11:59am Report this commentI fear that the case for a withdrawal of British troops from this mess is becoming unanswerable.
Walsingham Ghost
November 2nd, 2009 12:38pm Report this comment@ Vulture [11.59]
Seconded...
WG
Kevyn Bodman
November 2nd, 2009 12:51pm Report this comment'Sky's Alex Crawford, quoting his senior source'
Sky's Alex Crawford is a very attractive woman;I think the better possessive adjective is the feminine one, so 'quoting her senior source.'
David Blackburn
November 2nd, 2009 1:17pm Report this commentThank you KB.
Mirtha Tidville
November 2nd, 2009 2:07pm Report this commentI fully agree with Vulture.Karzai is the president of Kabul and no more..Afganistan cannot be conquered, history has shown this. The only surge that is required now is the one to get our forces out asap...The West had one chance to show the world that democracy had a future there but they blew it.....troops out now
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