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John Kerry tries to salvage deal in Afghan election dispute John Kerry tries to salvage deal in Afghan election dispute
(about 3 hours later)
John Kerry met rival candidates in Afghanistan's contested presidential election on Friday after a deal between the two unravelled.John Kerry met rival candidates in Afghanistan's contested presidential election on Friday after a deal between the two unravelled.
The US secretary of state arrived in Kabul on Thursday in an attempt to salvage the faltering political and technical agreements that he brokered between Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani last month.The US secretary of state arrived in Kabul on Thursday in an attempt to salvage the faltering political and technical agreements that he brokered between Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani last month.
The deal, arrived at after a marathon negotiating session, was intended to produce a winner in Afghanistan's contested election but has unravelled in the four weeks since it was reached, with fistfights breaking out in the auditing centre and the process halting numerous times. The deal, agreed after a marathon negotiating session, was intended to produce a winner in Afghanistan's election but has fallen apart in the four weeks since it was reached, with fistfights breaking out in the auditing centre and the process being halted numerous times.
Abdullah wants clarity on the political agreement and Ghani does not want to commit to it until the vote audit is complete, which he hopes will declare him the winner. Abdullah wants clarity on the political agreement and Ghani does not want to commit to it until the vote audit, which he hopes will declare him the winner, is complete.
Ghani, a former World Bank technocrat, emerged from the runoff on 14 June in the lead but Abdullah, a former mujahideen doctor, claimed that 2m of the votes cast for his rival were fake. Ghani, a former World Bank technocrat, emerged from the runoff on 14 June in the lead but Abdullah, a former mujahideen doctor, claimed that 2m of the votes cast for his rival were fake.
The seven-point political agreement outlines the steps to be taken after the audit. According to negotiators who helped broker the deal, the agreement states that a president will take office immediately and hold a loya jirga, or meeting of elders, to create a new prime minister position within the first two years.The seven-point political agreement outlines the steps to be taken after the audit. According to negotiators who helped broker the deal, the agreement states that a president will take office immediately and hold a loya jirga, or meeting of elders, to create a new prime minister position within the first two years.
The president will also create a position of opposition leader, to be appointed by the runner-up, and both the winner and the loser will select certain posts in national security and economic institutions. The president will also create the position of opposition leader, to be appointed by the runner-up, and both the winner and the loser will select certain posts in national security and economic institutions.
The president alone will appoint ministers, the chief justice, and other key provincial positions. With an eye towards future elections, the agreement also calls on the two candidates to begin work on electoral reform to address some of the shortcomings of this year's ballot. The president alone will appoint ministers, the chief justice and other key provincial positions. With an eye on future elections, the agreement also calls on the two candidates to begin work on electoral reform to address some of the shortcomings of this year's ballot.
Concerns are mounting that the progress of the audit has been dramatically slower than anticipated. Western officials and the United Nations hope that the audit will be complete before a Nato summit in September, but the first week of the auditing proved that this was unlikely. Concerns are mounting that the progress of the audit has been dramatically slower than anticipated. Western officials and the UN hope that the audit will be complete before a Nato summit in September, but the first week of the auditing proved that this was unlikely.
Fabrizio Foschini, of the Afghanistan Analysts Network, said Kerry's visit was a sign of improving conditions. "It shows high level of commitment on the part of the international community that they want the audit plus political process to end the way that it was envisioned," he said. "It remains to be seen whether this risks becoming a pattern, where every time you have a crisis, it cannot be solved without external input." Fabrizio Foschini, of the Afghanistan Analysts Network, said Kerry's visit was a sign of improving conditions. "It shows a high level of commitment on the part of the international community that they want the audit plus political process to end the way that it was envisioned," he said. "It remains to be seen whether this risks becoming a pattern, where every time you have a crisis, it cannot be solved without external input."