Monday, November 2, 2009

Karzai declared elected president


Hamid Karzai has been declared president of Afghanistan, after election officials scrapped a planned second round of voting.

The announcement comes a day after Mr Karzai's sole challenger, Abdullah Abdullah, pulled out of the race.

Dr Abdullah, who had demanded the removal of key poll officials, said the vote would not have been fair. The first round had been marred by fraud.

Key Nato allies of Afghanistan have congratulated Mr Karzai.

On Monday a spokesman for the Independent Election Commission (IEC), Azizullah Lodin, declared that President Karzai, "the only candidate for the second round", had been "elected president of Afghanistan".

He said the second round on 7 November was being scrapped to save money, for security reasons and to prevent further setbacks that could damage Afghanistan politically and economically.

The Taliban, which carried out attacks across the country during the first round, had vowed to disrupt the polls again next Saturday.

President Karzai had been the favourite to win the run-off after gaining more votes in the first round on 20 August.

One of the reasons for holding a deciding vote had been to try to restore some legitimacy to the process after the discredited first round.

A number of international figures, including US Senator John Kerry, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, had been involved in persuading Mr Karzai to accept a run-off.

'Historic' election

However Mr Brown welcomed the commission's decision.



The Independent Election Commission announces Mr Karzai's election
A spokesman said the PM had "spoken to President Karzai to congratulate him on his re-election" and the two men had "discussed the importance of the president moving quickly to set out a unifying programme for the future of Afghanistan".

The US administration, though its embassy in Kabul, also hailed the commission's move which it said conformed to "its mandate under Afghan law".

The statement added: "We congratulate President Karzai on his victory in this historic election and look forward to working with him."

But Dr Abdullah had demanded key officials be removed from the IEC, which is widely regarded as pro-Karzai.

Earlier on Monday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon visited Kabul and said Afghanistan's troubled election had been among "the most difficult the United Nations has ever supported".

The BBC's Lyse Doucet in Kabul says there has been intense discussion in recent days as to whether scrapping the second round would be constitutionally legal.

Some observers are saying Mr Karzai's legitimacy is also in question, and ask whether his government can be effective, adds our correspondent.

This would be a particular concern to US President Barack Obama as he considers whether to send up to 40,000 more troops to Afghanistan.

Hundreds of thousands of votes were discounted from August's first round, including almost a third of ballots cast for Mr Karzai.

The incumbent's share of the vote was cut to just under the crucial 50% plus one ballot threshold needed for outright victory, following an investigation by the UN-backed Electoral Complaints Commission.

Dr Abdullah - a Tajik-Pashtun former eye surgeon and ex-foreign minister - was adjudged in the end to have won nearly a third of valid votes cast.

Rawalpindi blast death toll rises to 34: Rescue 1122


Updated at: 1335 PST, Monday, November 02, 2009
RAWALPINDI: At least 34 people have been killed and 32 others wounded in the alleged suicide explosion in Rawalpindi Cantonment area, said spokesman Rescue 1122.

President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani have strongly condemned the blast.

According to reports, the blast occurred at 10:40 am outside door of bank near Shalimar Hotel killing and wounded several persons present in the area and damaged mangy buildings and vehicles.

The sources said there was long queue of persons outside the bank who were gathered to collect the salaries and pension when an alleged suicide bomber blew up himself.

RPO Aslam Tarin said suicide bomber was riding on a motorbike. Some body parts of bomber and a suicide jacket have been recovered from the blast site. A head is also found from the scene. Police have cordoned off the area as rescue operation is underway. Thirteen bodies were shifted to DHQ and 16 in different hospitals whereas three bodies transferred to military hospital, rescue 1122 sources said. Emergency has been imposed in the hospitals.

Altaf advises President Zardari to resign


Updated at: 1523 PST, Monday, November 02, 2009

KARACHI: The chief of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Altaf Hussain has decided to oppose NRO in the Parliament and advice President Asif Ali Zardari to quit as president.

The senior analyst of Geo News Dr.Shahid Masood said the top leadership of MQM had conveyed the message to President Zardari through Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Baber Awan to give sacrifice along with his companions and face courts.

Talking to Dr. Shahd Masood, MQM leader Altaf Hussain told the government that NRO is a black law and it should not be presented in the assembly but government had ignored the suggestion and presented it in the parliament. The MQM coordination committee will announce MQM's decision later.

President to take govt allies into confidence over NRO


Updated at: 1834 PST, Monday, November 02, 2009
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari will be chairing an important tonight where he will take coalition parties of the government in confidence over the issue of National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

The meeting is scheduled at 8:00 pm at the Presidential House, however; ongoing National assembly session can cause a delay.

The coalition parties in the government have been notified about the meeting and banquet to be hosted by the President, the sources told.

The president is likely to seek all out support of coalition partners on NRO by declaring it critical for inculcating culture of reconciliation in domestic politics.

The invitees of the meeting include various leaders of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Awami National Party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) and Baloshistan National Party (BNP) along with few other leaders from FATA.

The sources said that Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani along with federal ministers and all parliamentarians of PPP will also be participating in the meeting.

Five policemen injured in Lahore check post blast


Updated at: 1906 PST, Monday, November 02, 2009
LAHORE: Five policemen have been injured in a bomb blast at police check post near Babu Sabu Interchange, Geo News reported Monday.

The blast took place when a white Suzuki Mehran rammed into the police check post, sources said.

Rescue teams have reached the blast site.

The injured police personnel have been rushed to nearby hospital.