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Karzai rival poised to make run-off decision
Sun Nov 1, 2009 1:33am EST
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By Golnar Motevalli
KABUL (Reuters) - Pressure grew on Afghan President Hamid Karzai's rival Abdullah Abdullah on Sunday to pull out of an election run-off as his supporters gathered to chart their next step in a protracted and complicated campaign.
A deadline Abdullah had given Karzai to sack Afghanistan's top election official to avoid a repeat of the fraud-marred first round passed without action on Saturday. Western diplomats and media said overnight Abdullah was leaning toward pulling out.
Afghanistan has been racked by weeks of political uncertainty since the flawed August 20 first round was won by Karzai, with security also a major concern after a resurgent Taliban vowed to disrupt the November 7 presidential run-off.
With Afghanistan's political future hanging in the balance, President Barack Obama is also weighing whether to send up to 40,000 more troops to Afghanistan. Obama met his top military leaders on Friday as part of a strategic review.
With pressure growing on Abdullah to pull out, Western diplomats suggested it was no longer a question of whether he would pull out on Sunday but the manner in which he did it.
"Abdullah has realized how painful a second round will be for the country. The issue for Abdullah now is how does he withdraw: by saving face gracefully or boycotting the run-off," one Western official in Kabul, who asked not to be identified, told Reuters.
Analysts and diplomats believe withdrawing from the contest, perhaps as part of a power-sharing deal in return for a top government post in Karzai's next government, would spare the country further political pain and insurgent violence.
Urging his supporters to boycott a vote that Karzai is expected to win, however, would likely continue the stalemate and offer the Taliban even more opportunities to exploit the lingering political uncertainty.
While behind-the-scenes diplomatic moves to resolve the deadlock intensified over the past week, one Western diplomatic source said talks between Karzai and his former foreign minister Abdullah had broken down.
However the source, who asked not to be identified, said talk of pulling out may be a negotiating ploy by Abdullah.
"FAIRNESS"
Abdullah's campaign team said he had talks with Kai Eide, the head of the U.N. mission in Afghanistan, on Saturday, as well as Afghan political leaders.
"He has had no talks with Karzai," said Abdullah's spokesman Fazel Sancharaki.
Malalai Esaqhzai, a lawmaker from the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar and a member of Abdullah's team, said they had been waiting to see if Karzai would bow to the demands made last week.
"It's about the fairness of the process, this is Abdullah's biggest concern," said Omar Ghafourzai, another Abdullah adviser. Continued...
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