Karzai opponent: Govt 'cannot fight corruption'

Afghan President Hamid Karzai's challenger in the recent presidential election said Wednesday that the current government will not be able to rein in corruption and has wasted the resources and lives of its international allies.

Former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah spoke a day after five British soldiers were killed in a shooting in southern Helmand province. Afghan authorities said the attack was carried out by an Afghan policeman who opened fire on the British troops.

Abdullah said the Afghan government had squandered eight years of opportunity and the assistance of its Western allies by failing to stamp out corruption or establish institutions responsive to the Afghan people.

The Afghan election commission's decision not to have a runoff election after a fraud-marred first round was not legal and has created a government that cannot be trusted to follow the rule of law, Abdullah said.

"That government cannot bring legitimacy, cannot fight corruption," Abdullah said, adding that it "cannot deal with all the challenges, especially the threat of terrorism, security problems, poverty, unemployment and many others."

But Abdullah - who said he dropped out of the election runoff because he said it could not be conducted freely or fairly - said he was not personally challenging the commission's declaration of Karzai as president.

"The process has completed itself with that final, illegal decision," he said, referring to the election commission's ruling.

"I leave it to the people of Afghanistan to judge," he said.

The election commission proclaimed Karzai the victor of the country's tumultuous ballot Monday, canceling the planned runoff and ending a political crisis two and a half months after a first round of voting in August that was marred by widespread fraud.

People close to Karzai and Abdullah have said that the two have been in talks over the last few weeks to negotiate a power-sharing agreement, but no deal has emerged.

Karzai said in his victory speech Tuesday that he would welcome anyone from the opposition into his administration, but did not make a direct appeal to Abdullah to join him.

Abdullah reiterated Wednesday that he does not want a place in Karzai's government and said he has not asked for Cabinet or ministerial positions for his allies. He said the last time he spoke directly with Karzai was a week ago.

"In this environment I would rather act like a pressure group," Abdullah said. Asked what recommendations he would make to clean up the government, Abdullah said that he had not yet formed a specific list of demands.

Karzai pledged Tuesday to banish corruption by revising laws and strengthening a corruption investigation commission that was established a year ago, but did not get more specific about what needs to be done.