Main focus of Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Karzai accepts run-off vote

Bowing to massive pressure from the international community Afghan President Hamid Karzai has agreed to a run-off vote for the office of president. He will run against his rival Abdullah Abdullah in a second round of voting to take place on 7 November 2009. An independent commission had previously concluded that there was massive electoral fraud in the presidential elections held approximately two months ago.

Diário de Notícias - Portugal

President Hamid Karzai's decision to agree to a run-off ballot for the post of president is a victory for US President Barack Obama, the daily Diário de Notícias writes: "If the US president had given in and … sent more troops to Afghanistan Kabul would continue to be ruled by an incompetent and corrupt government. … Barack Obama insisted on his demand: There will only be more troops if there's a plausible government. … Yesterday Karzai gave in: He accepted that the results were [falsified] and is a partner once more. But he shouldn't deceive himself: if the runoff vote isn't convincing Obama will continue to refuse [to send troops]. Washington's victory and that of the international community must be real. Just as real as the soldiers are who are sent to Afghanistan to fight against the violence of the Taliban." (21/10/2009)

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De Volkskrant - Netherlands

The run-off vote for the office of president in Afghanistan must serve to enhance the legitimacy of the Afghan government, writes the left-liberal daily De Volkskrant: "If [the Afghan President Hamid] Karzai had insisted on the original results … then the already floundering central authority in Afghanistan would have lost even more credibility. The entire mission would have been threatened by a crisis of legitimacy. … It remains embarrassing that so much pressure had to be exerted to avoid such a disaster but perhaps one can't expect much more from a country so inexperienced in democracy and with such a strong tribal culture. But this doesn't mean the job is done for the White House and its Nato allies. The warnings of recent weeks that the campaign against the Taliban can only be successful with a government that is truly able and willing to govern in Kabul are justified. This requires less clan politics and more willingness to cooperate." (21/10/2009)

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Die Presse - Austria

Abdullah Abdullah, Afghan President Hamid Karzai's challenger in the run-off ballot for the presidential elections, is also an attractive option for the West, writes the daily Die Presse: "Why, the heads of government in Washington, London, Paris and Berlin ask themselves, should the West sacrifice blood and dollars for a corrupt regime? Above all for Obama, who had declared the conflict in Afghanistan a 'good war', Karzai has increasingly become a millstone around the neck. With his behaviour after the first round of elections, opposition candidate Abdullah Abdullah has cut a promising figure. ... His supporters have not thrown a single stone, and he has limited himself to holding press conferences and keeping journalists up to date through emails and the public through interviews. He deserves a fair chance." (21/10/2009)

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L'Est Républicain - France

According to the regional newspaper L'Est Républicain, the international community has failed miserably in Afghanistan: "Either we decide not to condemn the electoral fraud - in which case we must relinquish all notions of exporting this democracy to the land of eagles - or we judge the fraud unacceptable and start over from scratch in the country, rather than crowning [Afghan President] Hamid Karzai with laurels for his 'statesmanlike' conduct simply because he is ready to accept the idea of a run-off vote. The international community will not emerge strengthened from this sleight of hand in the eyes of the Afghan people. After manoeuvring itself into a military impasse, the international community now finds itself in a democratic impasse as it has not been able to guarantee the sincerity of the vote count." (21/10/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Elections, » Europe, » North America, » Afghanistan
All available articles from » Michel Vagner

Il Sole 24 Ore - Italy

The Italian business daily Il Sole 24 Ore does not discount a power sharing arrangement between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his challenger Abdullah Abdullah, which would dispense with the need for a run-off ballot: "A run-off ballot involves many complex challenges. Setting aside the uncertainties of the winter season, it would still involve setting up new voting locales within two weeks, and above all guaranteeing the security and correctness of the vote, which were problematic in the first round. Thanks to initiatives put in place by its Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmusen, Nato has done the bulk of the work necessary for guaranteeing security, while the European Commission has declared its readiness to send new observers. For all of these reasons the hypothesis that both candidates could reach a power sharing agreement is not entirely out of the question." (21/10/2009)

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