Helmand, November 18: Afghanistan’s beleaguered President Hamid Karzai makes his inauguration speech tomorrow, acutely aware that his disgruntled international backers will be poring over it for signs that he intends to mend his ways. But while he may carry out a cull of ministers, diplomats are expecting them to be minor sacrificial lambs rather than the worst offenders.
Mr Karzai’s two running mates are expected to be confirmed as his vice-presidents: Muhammed Qasim Fahim, accused of drug trafficking, and Abdul Karim Khalili, charged in a human rights report with alleged war crimes.
When Mr Karzai made his victory speech earlier this month, following an election win mired in allegations of massive fraud, he signalled his defiance by choosing to be flanked by the two men. Diplomats described the choreography as deliberately provocative towards the US and Nato powers pressing for the removal of warlords and power-brokers who have been accused of flouting the rule of law and undermining governance.
–Agencies