US, France, and Britain urge Karzai to recognize election audit results
KABUL - Western officials have been pressing Afghanistan’s president, Hamid Karzai, to accept the results of a UN-led audit, in a last-minute effort to smooth what has become an increasingly contentious election process.
A ruling on the extent of the fraud in this country’s Aug. 20 presidential election is expected today, and if Karzai’s vote slips below 50 percent as expected, a second round of voting would be required. Western officials say privately that Karzai seems to be balking at accepting the results, and a flurry of visits and phone calls from officials yesterday was aimed at averting a crisis.
Senator John F. Kerry, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, met with Karzai at least twice and separately with his main competitor, Abdullah Abdullah, stressing “the necessity of a legitimate outcome.’’
Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner of France, who traveled to Kabul, pressed both candidates to “respect’’ the audit process, the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Among the American officials working the phones were Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton; Richard C. Holbrooke, the special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan; and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain called Karzai.
The spokesman for Karzai’s campaign, Wahid Omar, denied that Karzai was rejecting the outcome of the audit, but said the campaign was concerned that the process was “being overshadowed by political discussions.’’
“We will not be committed to a result that is decided on politically,’’ Omar said.
Three of the five members of the committee conducting the audit are UN-appointed specialists, but the final results will be announced by the country’s Independent Election Commission, whose top officials are allies of Karzai.
A runoff could bolster the legitimacy of the election process and the government that it eventually produces. It could, however, take weeks, if not months, paralyzing the political process and leaving unanswered the question of who will be running the government, something the United States hopes strongly to avoid.
Legally, there are few alternatives. The second round is mandated by the constitution, but some observers argued that the constitution was ignored this spring when the country’s Supreme Court ruled that Karzai was still the legitimate head of state though his term had expired.
Karzai, who was credited with 54 percent of the vote before the fraud audit, opposes a second round.
There were also reports that foreign envoys were pressing both sides to work out a power-sharing deal. A senior American official noted that Karzai and Abdullah together won more than 70 percent of the votes cast in the first round, ensuring the credibility of a unity government.
But the Obama administration is taking pains not to be seen as pushing a deal.
“We’re not trying to prevent a second round,’’ said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the delicacy of the matter. “The issue is not about a runoff. The issue is getting a legitimate president.’’
It was unclear how seriously either candidate was taking the idea of a shared government.
Abdullah reiterated yesterday that he would consider negotiating after the results were announced, but that he was preparing for a second round of campaigning in two weeks.
Omar said Karzai would not discuss power sharing until after “a winner is declared.’’ He said that both foreign and Afghan officials were offering formulas for power sharing, but that Karzai had so far rejected them.
Meanwhile, NATO military chiefs called yesterday for reinforcements and more resources for Afghanistan’s special forces, an alliance spokesman said.
Material from the Associated Press was used in this report. 
