Sydney: The Afghan government could collapse following the departure of NATO forces in 2014, specially if the presidential elections that year are fraudulent, a report has warned.
The report by Brussels-based International Crisis Group claimed that ‘the country was on course for another set of fraudulent elections after the chaotic presidential and parliamentary polls in 2009 and 2010.’
“There is a real risk that the regime in Kabul could collapse upon NATO''s withdrawal,” said Candace Rondeaux, the ICG''s senior Afghanistan analyst.
“The window for remedial action is closing fast,” Rondeaux said in the report named ‘Afghanistan: The Long, Hard Road to the 2014 Transition’.
According to the Courier Mail, the report said that another set of fraudulent elections could undermine what little hope remains for stability after the Afghan government takes full responsibility for security from US-led NATO forces.
“The Afghan army and police are overwhelmed and underprepared for the transition. Another botched election and resultant unrest would push them to breaking point,” Rondeaux said.
She also pointed out that Afghan President Hamid Karzai ‘seems more interested in perpetuating his own power by any means rather than ensuring credibility of the political system and long-term stability in the country.’
According to the paper, the report also claimed that the possibility cannot be excluded that ‘Karzai will declare a state of emergency as a means of extending his power, which would accelerate state collapse and likely precipitate a civil war.’
IANS
First Published: Monday, October 08, 2012, 14:01