Dangerous job

The News,Sunday, June 08, 2014

From Print Edition


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There may be no tougher job in the world than being president of Afghanistan. The leader of this
fractured nation has to deal with ethnic strife, the resurgent Taliban and the demanding
Americans, all the while living with the constant threat of assassination. Abdullah Abdullah, the
front-runner to succeed Hamid Karzai as president in the election run-offs next week, received a
preview of what his life will soon become as he narrowly escaped a suicide attack on his convoy
in Kabul, presumably orchestrated by the Taliban. Abdullah would be a prime target for the
Taliban not only because he is expected to be the next president but for his opposition to the
group both in the Northern Alliance and in Karzais administration. Elections in Afghanistan are
always a violent affair since the Taliban are reluctant to accept their legitimacy but the attack on
Abdullah shows just how precarious democracy in the country really is and how easily it could
be thrown into chaos by the Taliban. Abdullah demonstrated commitment to the democratic ideal
by giving a live television speech soon after the attack and pledged to continue campaigning
without pause. Every politician in Afghanistan is somewhat tainted because of past and present
associations but attacks like these show how much worse the alternative is.

Abdullah has not let the attack distract him from his campaign against Ashraf Ghani. Both are
linked by their time in the Karzai government and have similar ideologies so the attacks on each
other have become increasingly personal. Abdullah stayed behind in Afghanistan despite having
an opportunity to move to the US and fought the Soviets while Ghani sought refuge in the west.
For this, Abdullah is portraying his opponent as somewhat less courageous than himself.
Abdullah received about 14 percentage points more than Ghani in the first round of the election
and so should be poised to take over. Policy-wise both have agreed to the US demands for
keeping their troops in the country beyond the end of this year, something Karzai conspicuously
failed to do and both are running on a platform of development. In the end, the vote may be
decided by personality and there the charismatic Abdullah will always best the erudite Ghani. No
matter who wins, though, the attack on Abdullah has shown just how brave both men are even
for running for such a dangerous job.