Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah withdrew Sunday from the upcoming runoff election, saying he believes the second round would be as fraudulent as the first.
"I want this to be an example for the future so that no one again tries to use fraud to abuse the rights of the Afghan people," Abdullah said at an emotional news conference announcing his decision.
President Hamid Karzai agreed to the runoff, set for Saturday, after he claimed victory in the first ballot in August. A review by a U.N.-backed panel of election monitors threw out nearly one-third of his votes, citing fraud. The result left Karzai short of the 50 percent-plus-one needed to avoid a runoff.
Abdullah had called for the resignations of top election officials and politicians to avert electoral fraud in the runoff. He argued that the commissioners, who are hired by Karzai, cannot be impartial.
A clouded electoral picture further complicates the Obama administration's efforts to decide whether to send tens of thousands more troops to Afghanistan to battle the Taliban and its al-Qaida allies.
The White House has been waiting for a new government in Kabul to announce a decision, but the war has intensified in the meantime. October was the deadliest month of the war for U.S. forces with at least 57 American deaths.
Before the announcement, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton downplayed the prospect of an Abdullah withdrawal, saying it would not undermine the legitimacy of the election.
"I don't think it has anything to do with the legitimacy of the election," Clinton told reporters Saturday in Abu Dhabi. "It's a personal choice which may or may not be made."
Nevertheless, the contentious electoral process, marked by massive fraud in the Aug. 20 first round vote, has divided anti-Taliban groups at a time when the U.S. and its allies are pressing for unity in the face of growing insurgent strength.
Earlier, the US said a pull-out would not invalidate the vote's legitimacy.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters in the United Arab Emirates: "We see that happen in our own country where, for whatever combination of reasons, one of the candidates decides not to go forward."
But the BBC's Andrew North, in Kabul, says Abdullah Abdullah's withdrawal means this is uncharted territory, and it is unclear what will happen next.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8336388.stm
I don't see how Clinton can legitimately assert what she asserted. If she really believes that a runoff without Abdullah is going to legitimize Karzai's defacto election, she's in the wrong job.
A clouded electoral picture further complicates the Obama administration's efforts to decide whether to send tens of thousands more troops to Afghanistan to battle the Taliban and its al-Qaida allies.
I am surprised that this isn't receiving more attention. President Obama and Senator Kerry, as well as others in the administration, have tied Obama's strategy and resource decision to the credibility and legitimacy of the Afghan leadership ... and the withdrawal of Abdullah throws the leadership, IMHO, of whatever government emerges now into a cocked hat.
The international investigation showed that the Afghan election was fraudulent. Why should any candidate cooperate when there may be no assurance of a fair count?
Originally posted by fnewt: Can you fault Abdullah Abdullah?
The international investigation showed that the Afghan election was fraudulent. Why should any candidate cooperate when there may be no assurance of a fair count?
One thing that is guarenteed in that part of the world is FRAUD, Abdullah Abdullah got out-fraudulated, not continuing to fight shows that he is a looser!
Will it really matter who runs that country? The Palestinians', Taliban, and Al-Qaeda will fight until the earth is destroyed by a large meteorite from outer space.
Originally posted by Duster6: Will it really matter who runs that country? The Palestinians', Taliban, and Al-Qaeda will fight until the earth is destroyed by a large meteorite from outer space.
or until they kill all the infidels, don't forget the infidels
Originally posted by reducetension: Send GWB to be their President, that would make sense and improve the IQ of both Texas and Afghanistan.
Good pick, Laura would bring intelegence and learning to that dump!
Too bad she didn't try it in the White House during her husbands reign.
Does it matter We got a POTUS who came from one of the best colleges in the world. Yet he still making stupid decisions just like the last and the last before,etc. Say's a lot about the leaders of this country huh.
no runoff election" OH NO!!! what is Obama gonna do now???? He NEEDED this election to help him decide what to do in those parts...... now he'll need another 6 months to think things out - you know, cannot make an unpopular decision - uh, uh - maybe another apology tour is called for to give him some breathining room and feel out the world opinion meter thing.
One Flag......One Heart......One Nation............EVERMORE
I concur. The good old USofA is good at under the table politics. Thats why so many countries hate us. We just can't stand to let the chips fall where they may.
I concur. The good old USofA is good at under the table politics. Thats why so many countries hate us. We just can't stand to let the chips fall where they may.
The chips fell on 9/11 where they may by others hands, we'll have to lay in any bed we make, if we're smart we will take comfort in it!
Originally posted by reducetension: Send GWB to be their President, that would make sense and improve the IQ of both Texas and Afghanistan.
Good pick, Laura would bring intelegence and learning to that dump!
Too bad she didn't try it in the White House during her husbands reign.
Does it matter We got a POTUS who came from one of the best colleges in the world. Yet he still making stupid decisions just like the last and the last before,etc. Say's a lot about the leaders of this country huh.
It says a lot about what they "lead" us into! And we tend to let 'em do it.
We got a POTUS who came from one of the best colleges in the world.
Perhaps we are due for a president that ISN'T from one of the best colleges ... and is a plain, ordinary, common-sense person. You can hire plenty of college graduates ...
We got a POTUS who came from one of the best colleges in the world.
Perhaps we are due for a president that ISN'T from one of the best colleges ... and is a plain, ordinary, common-sense person. You can hire plenty of college graduates ...
