THE Afghan elections have finally delivered a verdict. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai has been elected President. The verdict, however, is a matter of compromise, worked out by politicians and backers nationally and internationally. The runner-up, Abdullah Abdullah, has more or less offered the office to Ahmadzai on a platter. It was 2009 repeating itself when Abdullah had done the same. Winner Ahmadzai has acquired the constitutional validity that he needs. He can keep the country together and sign international deals. As a result, he will be the de jure authority in preventing foreign money and troops from leaving the country. But Abdullah in his role as Kingmaker now has more power than the President. The two leaders have signed a national unity deal which is indicative of the power equation. Ahmadzai has all constitutional powers but he has to share them with the Chief Executive, Abdullah Abdullah. They have both taken a pragmatic attitude. The President is well aware that the balance of forces is tilted towards the Chief Executive. The signing of the deal did not generate much cordiality between the two. It will take a lot of finesse to keep the deal going.
Other factors affect the deal. First, the sustained interest of the West and its allies in Afghanistan has a lot to do with it. Iran, Pakistan and India have to back it hand-in-hand. The mountainous territory is also surrounded on one side by Russia. The US and China also have their fingers in the pie. The world cannot leave Afghanistan to fend for itself with Iraq turning into a bloody battleground. But the big question is how the Taliban would look upon the new regime.
