MEDIA REACTION: AFGHAN RUNOFF

UNCLAS KATHMANDU 000966



SIPDIS



STATE FOR SCA/INS, PM/CBM, PM/PRO



STATE FOR SCA/PPD, PA/RRU



E.O. 12958 N/A

TAGS: KMDR, KPAO, PGOV, OPRC, NP

SUBJ: MEDIA REACTION: AFGHAN RUNOFF



1. SUMMARY: Nepal's newly launched but popular

English daily Republica with an estimated 15,000

circulation ran an editorial "Afghan runoff"

cautioning the international community to treat

Afghan affairs with care lest the Taliban take over

again. The English daily's sister vernacular daily

Nagarik with an estimated 30,000 circulation also

ran a similar editorial titled "Lesson from Karzai"

in which the newspaper praised Karzai for accepting

the election decision and keeping the country's

interest ahead of his personal desires and commented

that Nepali leaders can learn from his example. END

SUMMARY.



2. Full text of Republica editorial: "Afghan

President Hamid Karzai has finally agreed to hold a

runoff election after the UN-sponsored independent

audit declared that over one million votes, one-

third of what he had received, were fraudulent

bringing his total share of votes to below 50

percent. This prompted a runoff election under the

Afghan constitution. But Karzai relented only to

persistent international pressure, especially from

the United States, a country that remains bogged

down in the war in Afghanistan. US President Barack

Obama kept his decision to send additional troops to

Afghanistan on pending and US officials sent strong

signals that the decision was tied up to whether

Karzai accepts the results of the independent

auditing. US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton,

called him and 'advised' him to act like a

"statesman". UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown and

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner also kept

the pressure boiling on Karzai. Finally, the US sent

senator, Foreign RELATIONS Committee chairman and

2004 presidential candidate, John Kerry, to do the

final arm-twisting, leaving Karzai without an option

but to relent."



3. "It's such a relief that a man who thought he

could steal the election and get away with it has

been forced to realize his limits. But the challenge

of holding the runoff, in the chilling winter and

rugged terrains of Afghanistan and that too within

two weeks, is simply overwhelming. Add to this the

menace of Talibans, who have lately been

consolidating their force and gaining grounds.

Managing the logistics, providing security to the

Afghans, who risked their lives to cast their votes

in the first round, is going to be an enormous

challenge, if not impossible. No less easy will be

to convince the Afghans to cast their ballots in the

runoff, especially because their faith in the

electoral system -and democracy to some extent - has

eroded to a significant degree. But then again,

failure to hold the runoff is not an option for

Kabul needs some semblance of legitimacy if this

country is to pull off this brutal war and get rid

of the insurgency. The NATO force, which is on the

ground in Afghanistan, and which was perhaps in the

know of what was coming, should gear up to face the

challenge, provide poll security and help with

logistics to hold a credible runoff."



4. "Afghanistan is too important a country -and not

just for the US - to be left to fail. It will have

immediate ramifications for Pakistan and then for

India and the whole of South Asia. It's therefore

the duty of the international community and the

regional powers to make sure that the Talibans don't

take back the country and make it, once again, a

sanctuary for terrorists. It's also equally

important to ensure that elections cannot be stolen.

Else, Afghans and many people around the world will

lose faith in democracy."



5. Translated excerpt of Nagarik editorial "...

Karzai has taken the right decision by stepping

aside and trying to find a solution to the POLITICAL

stalemate in the country. Though the context is

different, Nepal's leaders can learn a lesson from

Karzai. The country has been in a POLITICAL

imbroglio because of the Maoists who have made

civilian supremacy their agenda... At this point in

time Nepal's POLITICAL parties must show the

flexibility and understanding that President Karzai

did. And those in the government must be responsible

and amenable. All know that there can be no way out

of this without compromise and why delay that?"





MOON