HAMID KARZAI ELECTED FOR

SECOND TERM; NO RUNOFF

KARZAI HAS BEEN DECLARED ELECTED BY INDEPENDENT
ELECTION COMMISSION OF AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT A
RUNOFF. IT MAY HAVE SAVED NATION FROM GOING FOR
ANOTHER ROUND OF POLL BUT MORAL AND
CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY HAS ERODED FOR KARZAI TO
RULE THE WAR RAVAGED COUNTRY WHICH IS STRUGGLING
TO REBOUNCE BACK TO NORMALCY

Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan

has been declared elected in the presidential
election, which was held on 20th August, this
year. The Independent Election Commission’s
Chairman Azizullah Ludin declared Karzai
elected without going for the run off election,
which was scheduled on 7th November. The
election held on 20th August, was marred by
large scale rigging and bungling in which
involvement of UN officials was also
established, making it dismal. Hamid Karzai
even then could not achieve 50 percent of the
votes as required under Constitution of
Afghanistan to be declared elected.

1
 This situation necessitated runoff election
between Hamid Karzai and Dr Abdullah
Abdullah. Dr Abdullah had been leveling
serious charges of fraud and rigging in
election by Hamid Karzai and his supporters.
He also demanded dismissal of Chief of
Independent Election Commission, because
he alleged that he has been working in
connivance with Hamid Karzai to confer
undue favour on him. Dr Abdullah had given
some suggestions to the President and UN
with regard to conduction of a peaceful and
fair runoff election and if these suggestions
are not incorporated there is no point in
participating him in the runoff fray, he added.
As the dead line set by Abdullah expired, he
decided to refrain and withdraw from the
runoff election.
Now Independent Election Commission
was left with two options. It may have gone
for run off election even when there is no
second candidate in the fray, because Article
61 of Constitution of Islamic Republic of

2
Afghanistan provides for runoff in case none
of the candidates secure 50% of votes casted.
Now this was a peculiar situation under which
none of the candidates could secure 50% of
votes but only one candidate was left in the
fray. The Commission had been deliberating
upon to conduct runoff but the USA and many
European Nato countries and off course, the
UN itself was not in favour of going for runoff
as it could have risked lives of personnel.
There was another risk of exposing country
for fresh spell of attacks, which is already war
ravaged. There was a serious apprehension of
violence because Taliban has given call for
boycott of the election.
It was under this situation and under
tremendous pressure of international
community, the IEC decided to declare Hamid
Karzai elected for the presidential election
without a runoff.
Now there is no doubt that Karzai is going
for the second tenure but his moral authority
is at stake. He could not secure 50% of votes

3
in the elections which itself has lost its
credibility in the eyes of both international
community and Afghani people. The USA on
the other hand is desperately trying to win
over Dr Abdullah to join the government
under Karzai. It is noteworthy that Dr Abdullah
has already served under Karzai as Foreign
Minister.
Obama is facing tough time in
Afghanistan. He is yet to decide on the issue
of sending more 40,000 US troops to
Afghanistan as demanded by Mc Crystal. The
security situation in this country is fast
deteriorating and writs of Afghan government
do not run in majority of the provinces. The
top Taliban and Al-Qaeda leaders including
Osama and Mullah Mohammad Omar are still
on the run. Pakistan is also under siege; its
war against TTP is not yielding desired results.
Hide and Seek game between Pakistan army
and TTP is on. News of NUKE technology leak
by Dr Abdul Quadir Khan has increased

4
apprehensions of possible slip of N-tech to
terrorists.
Under the prevailing situation, the South
Asian region may witness some more
troublesome years. It remains to be seen that
whether grotesque legacy of Bush in the
region could be shed or carried forward by
Barrack Obama and Hamid Karzai. But one
thing can be said for sure, that election in
Afghanistan became a missed opportunity.