Abdullah ultimatum before runoff

The challenger to Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Monday called for the removal of the head of Afghanistans election commission...

The challenger to Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Monday called for the removal of the head of Afghanistans election commission,the suspension of cabinet ministers,the removal of an unspecified number of provincial police chiefs,and the closure of some 500 polling stations as his conditions for participation in the runoff election scheduled for November 7.

Abdullah Abdullah gave Karzai five days to comply with his list of demands which aides said would include about 17 points in total but he remained coy about whether he would boycott the vote if these were not met.

We will wait for the commissions reply until October 31 and until then we suspend all of our relations with the commission, he told the media in Kabul.

Karzai issued a statement after Abdullahs news conference that said he would not oust the head of the Independent Election Commission,Azizullah Ludin,who has denied that he was partial to Karzai during the August 20 vote and has refused to step down. Karzai also said he would not make any changes to his cabinet.

Our ministers and officials,which Abdullah wants sacked or replaced,they have not done anything illegal or against the law that is why we cannot sack or replace them, Karzai was quoted as saying in a statement released by his office.

In this short period of time,we cannot makes these changes,this will not be for the benefit of the country and will also harm the country, the statement added.

Abdullah has accused several government officials of inappropriately campaigning for Karzai or otherwise orchestrating the fraud that discredited the first round.

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Abdullah said the changes were intended to avoid the extensive fraud of the first round and were the minimum conditions for having transparent and credible elections.

Some Western officials interpreted Abdullahs latest move as a clever tactic that could bolster his position regardless of how he chose to proceed. If he does intend to participate in the runoff,this could help level the playing field if even some of his conditions were accepted. If he wants to avoid the contest and strike a deal with Karzai to form a coalition government,this show of strength could strengthen his negotiating position. Still,if Abdullah withdraws from the race,several western officials said Karzai would likely win by default.

Abdullah told Fox News on Sunday said that if his conditions are not met,there will not be a credible election and it will be very difficult to convince the people to turn out and to show up.

Meanwhile,Ludin said he will not stand down ahead of the presidential runoff. No,why should I resign? he told Reuters.

Washington Post With Reuters