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U.S. Envoy: Afghans Should Form Unity Government

July 10, 2014
by RFE/RL

The U.S. special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, James Dobbins, says Afghanistan's feuding presidential candidates should form a unity coalition government in order to prevent the country from splintering.

Bloomberg quoted Dobbins as telling a conference at the Washington-based Asia Society on July 9 that 'a winner-take-all system in Afghanistan is not a workable' option.

'A government of national unity that includes all elements is, we think, a necessity for a successful government,' he added.

The remarks come as Afghan presidential candidates Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani quarrel over who is ahead in the vote count following an announcement of preliminary results on July 7.

Abdullah has claimed victory, saying the initial vote count showing Ghani ahead by some 1 million votes was fraud-ridden.

But he said his campaign team did not want 'civil war' or 'a crisis,' and called for 'stability, national unity, not division.'

A total of 8 million votes were counted and as many as 3 million ballots could be challenged in a an official review by electoral officials.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is due in Kabul on July 11 to discuss the political crisis over the disputed vote count with both Abdullah and Ghani.

Kerry on June 10 said Washington had 'enormous concerns' for the restoration of the credibility of the elections process in Afghanistan.

Speaking during a visit to Beijing, Kerry told reporters that both of Afghanistan's rival presidential candidates must show statesmanship and leadership at a critical time.

He said the United States hoped 'very much' over the course of the next few days that a way forward can be found to resolve the dispute.

Kerry also urged Abdullah and Ghani not to raise the expectations of their supporters.

U.S. President Barack Obama told both candidates in telephone calls earlier this week that any 'violent or extra-constitutional measures' over the vote fraud allegations would 'cost Afghanistan the financial and security assistance of the United States.'

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/afghanistan- us-dobbins-election/25452016.html

Copyright (c) 2014. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.