Having gone through their usual rocky election season, Afghanistan is now settling into a new, post-election crisis. CEO Abdullah Abdullah, declared the loser in the election, has declared himself something more akin to a winner.
On top of that, Abdullah is accusing everyone who says he didn’t win of a coup against his impending rule. He is blaming election officials for the issue, and has summarily banned all those officials from leaving the country.
For the time being, the situation in Afghanistan remains calm, though likely this is at least in part because no one expected this Afghan election to be any more resolved than the others were.
It seems likely that the two candidates will move toward establishing two rival governments, almost certainly a destabilizing outcome in the best of times. Coming amid talks with the Taliban, it is likely to make power-sharing talks substantially more complex.
The US presence guarantees that there was election “meddling” in favor of whatever candidate the US thinks will do its bidding with the least amount of pushback. THAT is what the US means when it talks about “exporting democracy.” THAT is all it has EVER meant.
Almost right. Change ‘exporting democracy’ too just democracy and it’ll be a bit more accurate.
“It seems likely that the two candidates will move toward establishing two rival governments, almost certainly a destabilizing outcome in the best of times.” The Taliban will have the last word. All collaborators, head for the US embassy. Your flight is waiting…
https://www.newsweek.com/last-helicopter-evacuating-saigon-321254
Sounds like Juan Guaido in Venezuela. Wasn’t elected but declares himself leader anyway. And the US goes along with it.