Karzai rejects call to sack top Afghan election official
Updated: Monday, October 26, 2009
Photographer: US Defense Department Photo
Afghan President Hamid Karzai
15:30GMT—11:30AM/EST
Washington, 26 October (WashingtonTV)—Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Monday that he would not sack the head of the country’s election commission, ahead of a 7 November run-off election.
Earlier, presidential candidate, Abdullah Abdullah, said election commission chairman, Azizullah Lodin, had “no credibility” and should be replaced immediately, reports the Associated Press.
Abdullah made the demand in a news conference in Kabul, during which he spelled out a list of what he said were “minimum conditions” for holding a fair run-off. He also called for the suspension of several government ministers.
But Karzai rejected both demands, reports Reuters.
Lodin himself said he would not stand down ahead of the vote.
“No, why should I resign?” he told Reuters.
Karzai and Abdullah have ruled out a power-sharing deal.
Meanwhile, in an interview with CNN broadcast on Sunday, Karzai questioned the reliability of the United States as a partner.
“Is the United States a reliable partner with Afghanistan? … Have we been treated like a partner?” he said.
His comments appeared to allude to his longstanding criticism of civilian deaths in US air strikes.
In a separate interview with CNN, Abdullah warned that the U.S. strategy for Afghanistan would not succeed without a credible partner in Kabul.
Sources: Reuters, Associated Press, CNN News
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