Dr. Abdullah on Karzai’s Second Term ‘Without the People’s Support’
At a press conference today, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah spoke out on Hamid Karzai’s second term as President of Afghanistan.
At the press conference, Dr. Abdullah continued to call out the IEC for their pro-Karzai stance and stated that Karzai’s second term in office comes without the support of the Afghan people:
“This decision does not have any legal basis and a government which takes power based on such a commission‘s decision cannot have legitimacy,” Abdullah said on Wednesday in his first public appearance since the announcement.
“Such a government which lacks legitimacy cannot fight corruption.
“A government which comes to power without the people‘s support cannot fight phenomena of terrorism threats, unemployment, poverty and hundreds of other problems.”
Abdullah: Karzai victory ‘illegal‘ [Al Jazeera English]
”If the Government’s basis is an illegal decision there is no hope that it will deal with issues of corruption and governance,” he said at a press conference in the garden of his Kabul home.
”I will fight for change in the hope that democracy will survive in Afghanistan.”
Abdullah doesn‘t want any part in Karzai‘s regime [Sydney Morning Herald]
“I would continue to work and to struggle for the rule of law, for good governance, for transparency and for brining change which is the dire need of the people of Afghanistan,” Abdullah stressed.
Abdullah lashes at Afghan election body‘s decision [China Daily]
“In this environment I would rather act like a pressure group,” Abdullah said. Asked what recommendations he would make to clean up the government, Abdullah said he had not yet formed a specific list of demands.
Abdullah appears to be setting himself up as an opposition leader in a country where political parties are not strong and there has never been a vigorous political movement in opposition to the president. Karzai has repeatedly said that political parties are too divisive for war-scarred Afghanistan and described himself as an independent open to working with everyone.
Karzai opponent: Gov‘t ‘cannot fight corruption‘ [Associated Press]