No Fair, Says Afghan Former President Karzai To United States, U.K.— No Elections: Still A Power Power Behind the Scenes
By Khama, Press
The former Afghan President Hamid Karzai declared his opposition to upcoming presidential elections.
The former Afghan President Hamid Karzai declared his opposition to upcoming presidential elections.
Speaking during a press conference in Kabul, Karzai said Afghans do not have control over election affairs, claiming that foreigners, particularly the United States controls the elections process.
Karzai further added that elections will not be good for the country considering the current situation in which peace process should be prioritized.
Furthermore, Karzai said the ongoing peace process is not Afghan-led and Afghan-owned, emphasizing that the process should not be handed over to other countries.
This comes as efforts are underway to find a political solution to end the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan.
The U.S. envoy for Afghan peace Zalmay Khalilzad said Wednesday that the United States and Afghanistan have agreed on next steps and that an agreement would conclude if Taliban did their part.
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Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq, one of the influential figures of Afghan and the running mate of Mohammad Haneef Atmar has joined the electoral team of Abdullah Abdullah.
Sources close to Mohaiq have confirmed that Mr. Mohaqiq has joined the Stability and Convergence team led by Abdullah Abdullah.
The sources further added that Mr. Mohaqiq is expected to formally endorse the electoral team of Abdullah during a press conference on Friday.
This comes as the electoral of Mr. Atmar announced earlier this month that the they have postponed the electoral campaigns for next month’s presidential elections.
Earlier, reports emerged suggesting that Atmar’s team did not launch election campaigns due to differences among the members of the team.
According to reports, the two key members of the team, Ata Mohammad Noor and Mohammad Younus Qanooni had agreed with Mr. Atmar to modify the constitution of Afghanistan and change the structure of the government from a centralized to a semi-centralized system.
However, the Peace and Moderation collapsed after the other members of the team, specifically the Pashtun leaders did not reach to an agreement in this regard.
Meanwhile, some of the other prominent members of Peace and Moderation team including Syed Ahmad Gilani, Syed Mansoor Naderi, Mohammad Younus Qanooni, Ata Mohammad Noor and Ismail Khan have not announced their support to any specific electoral team so far.
The presidential elections are scheduled for 28th of September but latest report indicate the presidential elections might be postponed due to the peace process.
The government of the United Kingdom announced a significant financial contribution to support the delivery of Afghanistan’s Presidential Election.
The British Embassy in Kabul said in a statement that UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) will make available up to £8 million to the UN Electoral Support Programme, which provides technical support to Afghanistan’s Independent Electoral Bodies.
The statement further added that this includes a planned contribution of £4 million to support preparations for the Presidential election.
Meanwhile, British Ambassador, Alison Blake said “I am pleased that through this contribution the UK can continue to support Afghanistan’s democratic process. The UK strongly supports elections in Afghanistan in order that the Afghan people can have their rightful say in the future of their country.”
Ambassador Blake further added that UK reiterates the importance of credible Presidential elections taking place. Timely elections are another step towards a more stable and democratic future for Afghanistan.
“I welcome the Afghan Government’s own financial commitments to the electoral process, which is key to long term sustainability, as well as the contributions from the international community,” Ambassador Blake said.
Furthermore, the British Embassy said the UK, along with others in the international community, supports the Afghan Independent Electoral Bodies’ call for all Presidential candidates to adhere to the Election law and the Code of Conduct.
The statement also added “It is critical that the election is conducted in a fair manner, without interference of government officials or the use of state resources to benefit particular candidates. The UK continues to support the independence of Afghanistan’s Electoral Bodies in managing the process.”