Karzai Rival Said to Be Planning to Quit Runoff

The election deadlock in Afghanistan is now in its 9th week and Abdullah Abdullah the rival to now President Hamid Karzai plans on annoucning his withdraw from the November 7th runoff election today. This has the potential to really damage the Afghan government's credibility and will highlight the state's fragility as well as show the growing and deep division among the Afghan people. This poses a huge problem for Western and especially American diplomants because the Afghan people would be stuck with a leader who has lost the support of the population and whose government for the large part is corrupt. Mr. Abdullah is commited to leaving the runoff but it still trying to decide whether to publicy denouce Mr. Karzai who was accused of stealing the election back in August or to step down during the conference scheduled for this morning. If he does choose to step down, what would happen to the runoff election? Afghan officals say that it will simply be cancelled and violence from the Taliban would appear.

By: Ivana Miljic