The rumor and news reports of President Karzai thinking to impose emergency rule in the wake of standoff with parliament spread fast among the political circles of Kabul. There were quick reactions, but before it becomes more of credible news, sources from the Palace had jumped in and denied. It was the International Crisis Group report which predicted that Karzai might announce emergency rule to end the tussle with Parliament. MP from Kabul, the youngest in lower house, Baktash Siawash in a speech in the house reacted saying the President could not impose emergency rule without consultation with the parliament. He went too far saying, "If the President imposes an emergency, he will meet the same fate as Egypt's former dictator Hosni Mubarak".
This statement came on media with reports about former Egyptian President being shown behind bars, with the news of his trial. He added, "The imposition of emergency rule is a fanciful dream of those sitting in the Presidential Palace." All such rumors are result of the ridiculous drama with parliament. The next morning when I was in taxi, the driver made a humorous comment.
He said, "Karzai says he has not even dreamt of emergency rule, the MP's have already seen it happening in next few days." But more funny was a comment from a friend on twitter. She quoted a Palace insider saying, "President Karzai did not even discuss declaring emergency. He might not be aware that he has that option. International experts coined this concept."
I don't believe if Karzai did not know about his options of emergency rule authority. There were such speculations in the beginning of all this drama when the crisis on results of parliamentary elections emerged for the first time. However, Karzai is not in a position to declare emergency. As a friend said, "It will be like declaring a war with all opposition." It's too early for the President to impose emergency. He will keep that option for 2013, when the second term ends and Karzai will not be eligible for third time as per the constitution.
The current crisis with elected and loser MP's is producing uglier episodes, latest of which is the wandering rumor about emergency rule. This is getting very ridiculous. It's more than a year now, the election results still being manipulated. What could we expect from this administration regarding the huge responsibility of transition and coming 3 tough years ahead? The Government itself is creating problems making the crisis deeper.
President Karzai is having intensive meetings with MP's and former Jihadi leaders to 'find out' a solution. Talk of a political deal is getting out of the palace meetings nowadays. In the latest of these meetings on Saturday, Vice President Qasim Faheem, Chief Justice Abdul Salam Azimi, National Assembly Speaker Rauf Ibrahimi, Senate Chairman Fazal Hadi Muslimyar, Attorney General Ishaq Aloko, Chief of High Peace Council Burhanuddin Rabbani and Sibghatullah Mujadedi, Chief Mullah of the Ulema Council Maulvi Qiyamuddin Kashaf, Head of the Constitutional Oversight and Implementation Comission gul Rahman Qazi, Judicial Board Director Nasrullah Stanikzai, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Humayon Aziz and others. Previous meetings were held separately with different groups of the protesting candidates and MP's who are declared unseated by the Special Tribunal. What I want you to see by listing all the names is the fact that none of these 'elders' and former Jihadi leaders are relevant to the crisis. For instance, what the Ulema Council chief got to do with this at all?
President Karzai is trying his old tactic by making a deal using the group of 'compromise people', and the so-called elders who are irrelevant on the political landscape. On the other hand, he is holding separate meetings with the MP's who have been declared unseated, trying to split them by making offers to some, while ignoring others. Already we have seen the difference. A big shot from the opposition, Dr. Mehdi is apparently taking a very soft stand on this crisis after the parliamentary break.
The loser candidates are also once again active with daily press conferences nowadays. The other day Daud Sultanzoy, the politician-turned-TV anchor , was saying the verdict of special tribunal is 'final' and must be implemented. TOLO TV should not let its platform be used by Sultanzoy to discuss the crisis in his talk show. Regardless of the legal aspect and eventual outcome, he is part of this crisis, thus biased against the MP's who have been declared unseated by Karzai's Special Tribunal.
It was joke of the week when Adviser of Government Media Center Rafi Firdous compared the standoff between Karzai and the parliament with the recent tussle between the US Congress and White House. He was saying this shows the 'beauty' of our 'democracy'. What can be more ridiculous to compare the fraud and manipulation in our system with the process in the Congress of mother of all democracies?
Where in the world we find an example that Chief Justice and several judges of the Supreme Court continuing working beyond their constitutional tenure, and nobody gives a damn about it? The parliament says all decisions and verdicts coming through the current judges and Chief of Supreme Court have no legal credibility, while the Government says all resolutions and demands passed in the current parliament have no legal basis since the decision about 62 MP's are pending. It all happens only here in the 'beautiful', as Rafi Firdous says, 'democracy' of Afghanistan, a state in deep crisis, of which the international community expects great responsibilities to be achieved in the coming 3 years of transition process. There is a local slang that goes like, "What have you done today, that you claim to do tomorrow". Seeing the state of affairs in the current administration, where the system is cracked up from within, there is less hope for the transition.