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Karzai ‘Open’ To Running Again For President

While Afghanistan’s constitution allows a president to serve only two terms in office, former president Hamid Karzai has said that should political parties reach an agreement over him running for office he would stand against the challenges and do so. 

In an interview with Germany’s Spiegel Online Karzai who has been a vocal critic of the US in recent times also raised the issue of John Kerry’s involvement in the last elections. 

“... if things were ours how come John Kerry came to Kabul in 2014 and raised two hands, made one the president and other the chief executive. You remember in the 2009 elections in Afghanistan when I was the candidate, the Americans came and asked me to do the same thing about the chief executive, when I said no, they said you have lost it,” said Karzai.

“Unfortunately, there is confusion in the constitution of Afghanistan about a citizen (being able) to serve more than two terms as president. But most interpretations of the constitution are that a person can’t run for president for consecutive periods, but some others say that a person is allowed to run as president only twice,” said legal expert Ainuddin Bahaduri. 

“The law defines the entire process, because the law has its clarification regarding this issue, therefore I can say that Karzai can take an extralegal decision,” said senator Abdullah Qarloq.

“I think every candidate has the right to a cast vote, get votes and appear as candidates in the elections whether it is parliamentary or presidential elections, but when it comes to Karzai, the people will judge him for his campaigns and for his legacies and for his programs which he has for the future,” said Sakhi Mohammadi, a resident of Kabul.

Following the downfall of the Taliban regime in 2001, Karzai served as head of the interim administration for one year. Karzai was then sworn in for another two years as head of the transitional administration.

Karzai formally served two terms as president following the 2004 and 2009 presidential elections.

Karzai ‘Open’ To Running Again For President

A legal expert says there is a lack of clarity in the constitution on how many terms a president can serve.

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While Afghanistan’s constitution allows a president to serve only two terms in office, former president Hamid Karzai has said that should political parties reach an agreement over him running for office he would stand against the challenges and do so. 

In an interview with Germany’s Spiegel Online Karzai who has been a vocal critic of the US in recent times also raised the issue of John Kerry’s involvement in the last elections. 

“... if things were ours how come John Kerry came to Kabul in 2014 and raised two hands, made one the president and other the chief executive. You remember in the 2009 elections in Afghanistan when I was the candidate, the Americans came and asked me to do the same thing about the chief executive, when I said no, they said you have lost it,” said Karzai.

“Unfortunately, there is confusion in the constitution of Afghanistan about a citizen (being able) to serve more than two terms as president. But most interpretations of the constitution are that a person can’t run for president for consecutive periods, but some others say that a person is allowed to run as president only twice,” said legal expert Ainuddin Bahaduri. 

“The law defines the entire process, because the law has its clarification regarding this issue, therefore I can say that Karzai can take an extralegal decision,” said senator Abdullah Qarloq.

“I think every candidate has the right to a cast vote, get votes and appear as candidates in the elections whether it is parliamentary or presidential elections, but when it comes to Karzai, the people will judge him for his campaigns and for his legacies and for his programs which he has for the future,” said Sakhi Mohammadi, a resident of Kabul.

Following the downfall of the Taliban regime in 2001, Karzai served as head of the interim administration for one year. Karzai was then sworn in for another two years as head of the transitional administration.

Karzai formally served two terms as president following the 2004 and 2009 presidential elections.

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