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SCENARIOS - Options for re-elected Afghan leader Karzai

Tue Nov 3, 2009 5:48pm IST
 
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By Golnar Motevalli

KABUL (Reuters) - Newly re-elected Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Tuesday he wanted an inclusive government and vowed to tackle corruption after stern warnings from Western supporters following a flawed election process marred by fraud.

Here are some scenarios about how Karzai could approach his next five-year term and what shape his new government might take:

LITTLE CHANGE

The international community is applying heavy pressure on Karzai to tackle corruption, as it has been doing for the past year, and to work with opponents, in particular Abdullah Abdullah, his main rival who withdrew from the presidential race on Sunday.

Karzai made no mention if he wanted to include Abdullah in his next government during a televised address on Tuesday.

He said corruption could not be addressed just by removing ministers and governors -- a sign that he might not be about to start sacking officials from his previous administration.

Seen by many in the West as a weak leader in charge of a government riddled with corruption, Karzai has been told by U.S. President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and others that he must do more.  Continued...

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