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Division at UN in Kabul
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by MilanSturgis | October 2, 2009 at 02:04 am
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Yesterday the United Nations Mission in Kabul (UNAMA) announced the departure of the number two diplomat at the Mission, the American Ambassador Peter Galbraith. His departure signaled a deep division within the Mission as to the recent Presidential elections which have been described as flawed with numerous claims of fraud. Galbraith broke with UN Special Representative Kai Eide by criticizing the Karzai government and the alleged voter fraud which has given Karzai a 54.9 % victory. Galbraith was open in his suspicion of Karzai’s complicity in these allegations which earned him a trip back to New York in August and presumedly his announced exit from the Mission yesterday. The UN Mission in Kabul is the organization overseeing the recount of suspicious ballots and ultimately will be the international agency verifying a final count. These recent events demonstrate the spilt of opinion at the Mission with Galbraith calling into question the very nature of the recount and the validity of these elections. This points to more trouble for the US strategy which requires a strong central government which will be a legitimate partner in the developing new policy of protecting the population from a growing insurgency. Once again events will prove to be obstacles rather than a clear path to a cogent policy. The recent Presidential election has proven a difficult challenge in the path forward , rather than a cornerstone in a new policy it is quickly looking to be shaky ground in which a new Afghanistan can build its future upon.
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MilanSturgis
Washington, District Of Columbia, United States
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (3)
at 06:34 on October 2nd, 2009
No surprise again, get rid of the dissidents, even in the UN.
at 08:05 on October 2nd, 2009
It's too bad he's gone in my opinion
at 11:12 on October 2nd, 2009
The movement away from presidential government to some form of parlimentary system that is regional must be considered in the wake of the corruption characterizing the elections. Galbraith's criticisms were appropriate, and the act of removing him proves the extent to which dissenting opinions will be silenced. Let's hope the backlash to his removal will be an even louder voice.
This is from EurasiaNet
The recently conducted presidential election, a vote marred by widespread fraud, has helped catalyze the nascent constitutional debate inside Afghanistan. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. Domestic critics of President Hamid Karzai believe the reports of massive vote-tampering on behalf of the incumbent shows that the strong-presidential system is detrimental for Afghanistan. They are calling for an urgent redistribution of power -- from the central government to the regions -- in order to prevent Afghanistan’s democratization process from careening off the rails.
Not surprisingly those supporting the idea of devolving power from Kabul to the regions tend to be political opponents of the president. Among these critics is the governor of northern Balkh Province, Gen. Atta Mohammad Noor. Though originally appointed by Karzai, Atta was a strong supporter of the president’s main rival in the presidential vote, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah.
"This is one of the reasons why I supported Dr Abdullah," Atta said during a recent interview with EurasiaNet. "If one man has too much power it is a totalitarian system, and not a democracy. Rights will not be given, liberty is in question and there is no balance and no justice."