Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Karzai Nixes Power-Sharing Government

Abdullah says result will be same without new election officials

By Polly Davis Doig,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 25, 2009 8:10 AM CDT

(Newser) – Both candidates for Afghanistan's presidency focused on the Nov. 7 runoff yesterday, with Hamid Karzai declaring that there would be no power-sharing government, while challenger Abdullah Abdullah voiced concern that without the ouster of top election officials, the tainted outcome would be no different. "So long as these people are not being removed from the commission, I don't think we are going to have a free and fair election," said an Abdullah supporter.

Election officials will reduce the 6,300 polling places by 500 in order to reduce fraud, but many experts expect that to achieve little in a vote expected to be complicated yet further by extreme weather. Also jumping into the fray was the Taliban, declaring the runoff "a failed, American process," and promising further violence to would-be voters.

A campaign poster of President Hamid Karzai is seen on a stand as campaign spokesman, Waheed Omar, third from right, speaks in Kabul on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009.
A campaign poster of President Hamid Karzai is seen on a stand as campaign spokesman, Waheed Omar, third from right, speaks in Kabul on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009.   (AP Photo/ Gemunu Amarasinghe)
Abdullah Abdullah, former Afghan foreign minister who run against President Hamid Karzai in last August's vote, speaks with journalists in Kabul on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009.
Abdullah Abdullah, former Afghan foreign minister who run against President Hamid Karzai in last August's vote, speaks with journalists in Kabul on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009.   (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)
Hamid Karzai speaks during a press conference with Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass, and Kai Eide, head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, unseen, in Kabul, Afghanistan on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009.
Hamid Karzai speaks during a press conference with Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass, and Kai Eide, head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, unseen, in Kabul, Afghanistan on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009.   (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)
Hamid Karzai during a news conference, in Kabul, Afghanistan on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009.
Hamid Karzai during a news conference, in Kabul, Afghanistan on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009.   (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 3 comments
Snarfeh
Oct 25, 2009 5:49 AM CDT
lolol....DON'T get me started.....I could play that game alllll the live-long day! Ok, just 2...I swear I will only submit 2...menholdinghands.com and stealingfromthecitizens.com....
Robert_Dada
Oct 25, 2009 5:37 AM CDT
And this man is a personal friend of the Bush family. They must have met on stealingelections.com or something.
RogerMohajir
Oct 25, 2009 2:09 AM CDT
And so the puppet continues to pull the puppet masters' strings, making them dance and sing about runoff elections and power-sharing while he continues to wallow in a sty of corruption and drug money. It's time to cut Karzai loose, folks. This Pinnocchio will never prove himself to be "brave, truthful, and unselfish," and so he'll never become a "real" leader.

More Newser Stories

US-Taliban Talks Stumble

US-Taliban Peace Talks Could Resume Within Weeks

Kabul Demands Lead Role in Taliban Talks

US May Swap Gitmo Inmates for Taliban Peace Deal

Afghan Spies Foil Karzai Assassination


NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne