| Submit your comments on this article |
| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| Karzai’s Talks Raise Fears About Afghan Vote |
| 2004-05-29 |
| A week of private talks between envoys for President Hamid Karzai and various current and former Islamic militia leaders have raised fears of a power-sharing deal that could undermine internationally backed elections scheduled for September. The negotiations here with members of the Northern Alliance coalition have angered leaders of Karzai’s Pashtun ethnic group and alarmed foreign diplomats and election observers, who say a deal with religious strongmen will send the wrong signal to a nation preparing to embark on its first democratic vote..."This is like saying that the only ticket to the palace is having weapons behind you," said one European diplomat. "These elections are costing $200 million, and if that can’t produce a credible and legitimate process, then all the money will have gone down a black hole. It’s not only a lost opportunity, it’s a regression to the past."...The Northern Alliance is a coalition of Islamic militias that fought occupying Soviet troops in the 1980s and were later allied with U.S. forces against the Taliban, which was toppled in late 2001. Many Afghans are wary of these groups because they held power during a chaotic and destructive period of civil conflict in the early 1990s. Nevertheless, the United Nations gave several Northern Alliance leaders a prominent role in the temporary post-Taliban government, which they are determined not to lose through elections...Karzai, who was chosen interim president by delegates to a national council in 2002, declared his intention to run for election several months ago. But he has made few public appearances, formed no political party and remains largely confined to his palace under heavy security. Instead of seeking support from voters, he has spent time forging alliances and seeking agreements with groups likely to cause trouble for his candidacy or the elections...Even some Pashtun figures who said they would support Karzai’s candidacy expressed disappointment in his leadership, saying he has been unwilling to stand up to regional bosses despite enjoying strong international support -- and is now snubbing his tribal constituents while courting perennial adversaries...Some international observers here expressed broader worries, saying the president’s deal-making suggests that despite his worldly demeanor and constant invocation of democratic ideals, he is more comfortable with backroom power-brokering and more concerned about winning election than about bolstering the democratic process... Groan...I hope that Karzai doesn’t turn out to be another Third World self-important loser in whom we’ve misplaced our trust. |
| Posted by:rex |