Abdullah Abdullah's Withdrawal is Concession to Karzai and the US

[tekisui]

He is not calling for a protest or a boycott. He is just dropping out because it is rigged.
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Abdullah Withdraws From Afghan Presidential Run-Off (Update2)

Source: Bloomberg

Nov. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Abdullah Abdullah withdrew from Afghanistan’s Nov. 7 presidential run-off election against Hamid Karzai, saying a “free and fair” ballot wouldn’t have been possible.

He urged his supporters “not to take to the streets” or demonstrate in two Kabul press conferences today broadcast by international networks including CNN. The former Afghan foreign minister said he was “absolutely not” calling for a boycott of the run-off.

“The Afghan people deserve a better election” than the one that would have occurred, Abdullah said. He said the cost and potential violence connected with staging a second round were among his considerations in dropping out.

“I will pursue my efforts to bring reform and change to this country for the rest of my life,” said Abdullah, who was born in 1960. “I will do my best to institutionalize democracy in Afghanistan. Our commitment is much deeper than what happens today or tomorrow.”

The run-off election will proceed as scheduled, the election commission said today after Abdullah’s announcement, Agence France-Presse reported.

Abdullah said he had consulted in recent weeks with U.S. President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Sen. John Kerry as well as British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=aNEsgWcKGoP0

[tekisui]

1. Abdullah: After all, this is not (a) democratic environment

http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-11-01-voa3.cfm

"Not to take to the streets. Not to feel grief. I know it is difficult," Abdullah said. "After all, this is not democratic environment. But at the same time, it is for a good cause. It is for the future generations of this country."

Waheed Omar, a spokesman for President Karzai's campaign, said they believe the election is the right of the Afghan people.

"The withdrawal was Dr. Abdullah's personal choice. That should not affect the process as a whole," Omar said.

The United Nations spokesman in Afghanistan, Aleem Siddique, told VOA Abdullah's decision was a difficult one. He praised the candidate for his conduct throughout the election and said it is up to Afghan authorities to determine how to proceed.

[madrchsod]

2. when your opponents brother is a paid cia informant....

it`s time to drop out or "drop dead"....but it`s ok...obama and the cia will welcome the new democratically elected president with open arms. is it possible to be a democracy when only one candidate can run?

[tekisui]

4. Abdullah rolled over without a fight. He got the message.

He talked to Obama, Clinton, Kerry and Brown. I am sure he expressed his dissatisfaction with the fraud, but he got no support from them, obviously.

[spanone]

3. jeeez, i wonder who'll win???

[wisteria]

5. He dropped out because he knew he would lose in a fair election and his demands were not met. n/t

[tekisui]

6. His demands for a fair election were not met.

He dropped to expose that it is not a democracy.

[MarjorieG]

7. We asked him to join and co-lead but he didn't want to. Understand it, and we also asked for a re-do

that surely would have led to violence.

[tekisui]

9. Why would he want to co-lead with someone as corrupt as Karzai.

He wanted the re-do to be fair. It wasn't, and no one would do anything about it, not even the UN. Now, US soldiers get to die for an illegitimate government.

Without legitimacy, force is required. We will be the enforcers, largely. If the insurgency grows against Karzai, we will have to put our army between them in what should be an internal fight.

[mmonk]

8. He took the high road.

“I will pursue my efforts to bring reform and change to this country for the rest of my life,”