Afghan President seeks US help to break poll deadlock

ISLAMABAD, Sept 18 (KUNA) -- President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai appealed to the United States to help resolve the political stalemate stemming from the controversial presidential election, said the president office.
The call by the President was issued at a meeting with US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Daniel F. Feldman and Ambassador James B. Cunningham at the Presidential Palace in capital city Kabul.
In a statement from his office, the president said the US, being a key player in brokering the unity government deal between the two men vying to succeed him, should help make the elections a success.
The presidential candidate, ex-finance minister, Ashraf Ghani, led the former foreign minister, Abdullah Abdullah, in the polls held on April 5, 2014, with a second round held on June 14 Abdullah refused to accept the poll results and called for a vote audit by the Independent Election Commission (IEC). The candidates were close to a power-sharing deal after they met face-to-face but they failed to reach an agreement.
President Karzai said, "The international community should not make Afghanistan a battle-field for its covert polices," adding that US should play its role in resolving the ongoing electoral crisis.
He further said that US had been a key player and the situation demanded a positive and impressive role from Washington in breaking the deadlock.
The president said the election process had unexpectedly prolonged and people wanted to know results without further delay, said the statement. (end) sbk.gta