Poll crisis may bring down govt: analysts

KABUL): Kabul-based political analysts on Monday warned that if the ongoing election crisis endured much longer it could bring down President Hamid Karzai’s government.

The political crisis deepened after members of the Wolesi Jirga, the lower house of Parliamet, appealed to the international community for help over a special court that overturned the results of last September’s election for a quarter of the seats in Parliament.

The special court was established by presidential decree to investigate claims of fraud in last year’s parliamentary elections. On Thursday, the court announced that according to a vote recount, 62 sitting MPs had in fact lost September’s election and should vacate  their seats in the 249-seat parliament.

The ruling has been condemned as unconstitutional and illegal by officials and international observers.

Political analyst Waheed Mujdha believes the conflict among the three pillars of the government–the Parliament, the Presidency and the judiciary–represents a major problem for Afghanistan and requires urgent resolution. 

Calling the current situation “out of control,” he accused President Hamid Karzai of deliberately fueling the crisis in a bid to further his political agenda and silence opposition. He said Karzai wanted to weaken the Parliament, which provides a check on his executive power. Mujdha sees no end to the dispute.

Another political observer, Ahmad Saeedi, also held President Karzai responsible for the crisis, saying the situation was the legacy of Karzai’s incompetent government.

Saeedi said he did not think the crisis would end soon, but feared its continuation could lead a regime breakdown.

“On one hand, the special court insists its verdict should be implemented, and on the other, the election commission says the court’s verdict is illegal,” he said.

ma/kg

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