Karzai's rival "softens" stance

       Afghan President Hamid Karzai's main election challenger on Monday opened the door to working with his rival in a unity government,softening his opposition to future collaboration with the incumbent.
       Abdullah Abdullah, 49, who served as Mr Karzai's foreign minister from 2001 to 2006, said that when the result of the Aug 20 vote was known it was possible to "talk about different scenarios".
       "At this stage my whole focus will be on the [electoral] process, yes, to get it right and get it on track so the outcome will be acceptable to the people of Afghanistan," said Mr Abdullah.
       "Post announcement [of the result]there will be a new environment."
       Mr Abdullah has in the past ruled out returning to a Karzai government, but suggested his stance could soften after the election result is announced. Asked if he still ruled it out, he replied:"At the moment that is my position."
       When asked if that position could change, he responded:"Take it as it is,but different ideas and different scenarios could be talked about in their context rather than the context of today's situation where we have to focus on the [election] process."
       Hundreds of ballot boxes are still being checked for cheating, nearly two months after Afghans trudged to the polls. The vote was widely condemned as highly fraudulent and state bodies systematically acted to favour Mr Karzai, says Mr Abdullah.
       Rows have erupted over how the fraud can be corrected. Mr Abdullah said he was satisfied with the election watchdog's procedures and remained convinced it would declare sufficient votes invalid to require a run-off round between him and Mr Karzai.
       "It looks like it will be impossible for him to win [in the first round]," said Mr Abdullah, an urbane, fluent Englishspeaking eye doctor."Fraud will not be ignored."
       Mr Karzai won a preliminary 54.6%of the vote, to Mr Abdullah's 27.8%.Around one million of the 5.66 million votes cast would have to be found fraudulent to push Mr Karzai below the 50%level needed to trigger a second round.
       Mr Abdullah said the next government needs to reclaim the legitimacy lost to fraud and misrule under Mr Karzai, giving Western powers the "credible" partner they must have to justify the money and troops sent to stabilise Afghanistan.
       Setting out his conditions for cooperation, Mr Abdullah said he wanted a government formed that would have "an agenda of change", be staffed on the basis of competence rather than personal loyalty and have a clear vision for the country.
       In the fierce pre-vote battle for allegiances, Mr Karzai secured the backing of ethnic chiefs and ex-warlords, some with notorious human rights records.
       Mr Abdullah said Mr Karzai had effectively offered government posts in return for votes, which would frustrate the government's Western backers who want competent technocrats rather than corrupt loyalists in senior positions.
       "It's a clear-cut deal - ministries,authorities in exchange for votes,regardless of the issues of good governance, competence and effectiveness," said Mr Abdullah.
       Meanwhile Mr Abdullah's campaign manager, Saleh Mohammad Registani,said Mr Karzai engineered this week's resignation of a chief fraud investigator to cast doubt over a process that may force a run-off vote.
       One of the two Afghans on the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC), Maulavi Mustafa Barakzai, resigned on Monday because, he said, the three foreigners on the panel were making all decisions on their own."Barakzai's resignation has direct connection to Karzai. It was Karzai's idea," Mr Registani said."Karzai is trying to bring the work of the ECC into question."