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| Kerry Visits Afghanistan to Urge Deal on the Election | Kerry Visits Afghanistan to Urge Deal on the Election |
| (21 days later) | |
| KABUL, Afghanistan — Secretary of State John Kerry made an unannounced visit here on Thursday to press Afghanistan’s rival presidential candidates to form a government of national unity and rescue the political agreement he negotiated almost four weeks ago. | |
| The Obama administration is urging Afghan politicians to accept the result of an internationally monitored audit so a new president can be inaugurated before NATO nations hold a summit meeting in Wales in early September. | The Obama administration is urging Afghan politicians to accept the result of an internationally monitored audit so a new president can be inaugurated before NATO nations hold a summit meeting in Wales in early September. |
| “We would like to see the president inaugurated and arriving at NATO as part of a government of national unity,” said a senior State Department official who is traveling with Mr. Kerry. | “We would like to see the president inaugurated and arriving at NATO as part of a government of national unity,” said a senior State Department official who is traveling with Mr. Kerry. |
| Getting a new Afghan president into office would require the rival campaigns of Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani to stop the infighting that has delayed the auditing of votes from the June 14 runoff presidential election, which was marred by allegations of widespread fraud. | Getting a new Afghan president into office would require the rival campaigns of Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani to stop the infighting that has delayed the auditing of votes from the June 14 runoff presidential election, which was marred by allegations of widespread fraud. |
| More important, it would also require the two sides to resolve thorny power-sharing arrangements. | More important, it would also require the two sides to resolve thorny power-sharing arrangements. |
| Mr. Kerry met separately Thursday evening at the American Embassy compound with Mr. Ghani and Mr. Abdullah, and with Jan Kubis, the senior United Nations official here. | Mr. Kerry met separately Thursday evening at the American Embassy compound with Mr. Ghani and Mr. Abdullah, and with Jan Kubis, the senior United Nations official here. |
| Neither American nor Afghan officials disclosed what was discussed. | Neither American nor Afghan officials disclosed what was discussed. |
| But when Mr. Kerry asked Mr. Ghani how he had celebrated the recent end of Ramadan, the monthlong Muslim holiday that involves long days of fasting, the Afghan candidate wryly offered a sense of the political mood. | But when Mr. Kerry asked Mr. Ghani how he had celebrated the recent end of Ramadan, the monthlong Muslim holiday that involves long days of fasting, the Afghan candidate wryly offered a sense of the political mood. |
| “On Ramadan, tempers go up,” Mr. Ghani said. | “On Ramadan, tempers go up,” Mr. Ghani said. |
| “Oh, I know,” Mr. Kerry replied. | “Oh, I know,” Mr. Kerry replied. |
| Mr. Kerry plans to meet again with the candidates on Friday and with President Hamid Karzai before leaving for a meeting of Asian nations in Myanmar. | Mr. Kerry plans to meet again with the candidates on Friday and with President Hamid Karzai before leaving for a meeting of Asian nations in Myanmar. |
| A delay in picking a president could have enormous ramifications for Afghanistan’s security. Mr. Karzai has left to his successor the decision of whether to sign two security accords that would provide the legal basis for American and other NATO troops to remain after this year. | A delay in picking a president could have enormous ramifications for Afghanistan’s security. Mr. Karzai has left to his successor the decision of whether to sign two security accords that would provide the legal basis for American and other NATO troops to remain after this year. |
| Mr. Ghani and Mr. Abdullah have each made clear that he would sign those accords if he became president. | Mr. Ghani and Mr. Abdullah have each made clear that he would sign those accords if he became president. |
| During his visit to Kabul last month, Mr. Kerry brokered a deal that called for all eight million votes cast in the runoff in June to be audited under international supervision. | During his visit to Kabul last month, Mr. Kerry brokered a deal that called for all eight million votes cast in the runoff in June to be audited under international supervision. |
| But because of disputes over the ballot recount procedures, only 2,400 of the nation’s 23,000 ballot boxes have so far been audited. | But because of disputes over the ballot recount procedures, only 2,400 of the nation’s 23,000 ballot boxes have so far been audited. |
| The political side of the agreement Mr. Kerry brokered has been even more problematic. It outlined a power-sharing arrangement in which the loser of the election, or a representative of his choice, would serve under the president as the government’s chief executive. | The political side of the agreement Mr. Kerry brokered has been even more problematic. It outlined a power-sharing arrangement in which the loser of the election, or a representative of his choice, would serve under the president as the government’s chief executive. |
| After a loya jirga, or grand council, is held in two years, the chief executive post would be elevated to that of an executive prime minister, according to the plan. | After a loya jirga, or grand council, is held in two years, the chief executive post would be elevated to that of an executive prime minister, according to the plan. |
| Posts in the major security and economic ministries would be shared equally between the two sides. | Posts in the major security and economic ministries would be shared equally between the two sides. |
| The State Department official, who requested anonymity in accordance with the agency’s procedures for briefing reporters, said the candidates recognized that they needed to make headway on the political track and insisted there had been recent indications of “some collaborative work.” | The State Department official, who requested anonymity in accordance with the agency’s procedures for briefing reporters, said the candidates recognized that they needed to make headway on the political track and insisted there had been recent indications of “some collaborative work.” |
| But so far much of the deal’s contents — a “framework” is what officials are calling it — remains a mystery because neither Mr. Abdullah nor Mr. Ghani has publicly detailed what he is prepared to accept. | But so far much of the deal’s contents — a “framework” is what officials are calling it — remains a mystery because neither Mr. Abdullah nor Mr. Ghani has publicly detailed what he is prepared to accept. |
| Instead, each side has cast the deal in ways most likely to appeal to its hard-line supporters. Mr. Abdullah’s camp has portrayed it as a step toward a parliamentary system, which he has long favored, while Mr. Ghani has played down the significance of the chief executive and prime minister roles, preferring to emphasize the primacy of the president. | Instead, each side has cast the deal in ways most likely to appeal to its hard-line supporters. Mr. Abdullah’s camp has portrayed it as a step toward a parliamentary system, which he has long favored, while Mr. Ghani has played down the significance of the chief executive and prime minister roles, preferring to emphasize the primacy of the president. |
| In addition, Mr. Ghani has refused to sign the deal. Without a signature, the deal may not be viewed as binding by many Afghans, though American officials have insisted it would be good enough for the two men to simply lay out what they agreed to. | In addition, Mr. Ghani has refused to sign the deal. Without a signature, the deal may not be viewed as binding by many Afghans, though American officials have insisted it would be good enough for the two men to simply lay out what they agreed to. |
| “They’ve made no progress at all,” said a senior Afghan official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid being seen as weighing in on a political matter. “There is very little that the supporters of each one of the men will agree to, and so they can’t agree to much when they are face to face.” | “They’ve made no progress at all,” said a senior Afghan official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid being seen as weighing in on a political matter. “There is very little that the supporters of each one of the men will agree to, and so they can’t agree to much when they are face to face.” |
| Further complicating matters is the role of Mr. Karzai, whose enmity toward Mr. Abdullah is longstanding and who has been said to be pushing Mr. Ghani to not compromise on the political side of the Kerry deal. | Further complicating matters is the role of Mr. Karzai, whose enmity toward Mr. Abdullah is longstanding and who has been said to be pushing Mr. Ghani to not compromise on the political side of the Kerry deal. |
| Aimal Faizi, a spokesman for Mr. Karzai, said in a telephone interview that it was absolutely “baseless” that the president supported any candidate. | Aimal Faizi, a spokesman for Mr. Karzai, said in a telephone interview that it was absolutely “baseless” that the president supported any candidate. |
| “When the president meets with Mr. Kerry in the morning, he is going to tell him, ‘Let’s get it done as soon as possible, let’s get it done this month.’ ” | “When the president meets with Mr. Kerry in the morning, he is going to tell him, ‘Let’s get it done as soon as possible, let’s get it done this month.’ ” |
| The NATO summit meeting next month has become an important deadline for settling on an Afghan president for several reasons. | The NATO summit meeting next month has become an important deadline for settling on an Afghan president for several reasons. |
| The United States and its NATO partners want to see a new Afghan president inaugurated and security agreements signed so they can make plans for a training and advisory role after 2014. | The United States and its NATO partners want to see a new Afghan president inaugurated and security agreements signed so they can make plans for a training and advisory role after 2014. |
| And the presence of a new Afghan president would also enable the alliance to say that the nation was making progress after long years of NATO involvement there. | And the presence of a new Afghan president would also enable the alliance to say that the nation was making progress after long years of NATO involvement there. |