Afghanistan Analysts Network – English

Thomas Ruttig

Doubts cloud sense of relief as new Afghan government takes shape

Thomas Ruttig •

Reuters, 22 September 2014 AAN’s Thomas Ruttig is quoted on chances of governments of national unity in Afghanistan and elsewhere here: Thomas Ruttig, of the Afghanistan Analysts Network, said other countries’ experience with unity governments suggested they were only temporary fixes for entrenched power struggles. Those that do work tend to be in countries with strong […]

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Afghan poll results delayed to ‘hide scale of ballot rigging’

AAN •

The Telegraph and The Australian, 22 September 2014 Also, the British and the Australian dailies quotes from Kate Clark’s AAN dispatch: Kate Clark of the Afghan Analysts Network agreed that the transition from President Karzai’s administration to a new government had not been achieved by the ballot box. “It actually avoided democratic means to determine who […]

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Major Tests Await Afghan Power-Sharing Deal

Thomas Ruttig •

RFE/RL’s Gandhara blog, 22 September 2014 A quote from AAN’s Thomas Ruttig with a mix of measured optimism and pessimism on the GNU deal: Former European diplomat and current head of the Afghanistan Analysts Network Thomas Ruttig says the deal is a good omen for Afghanistan, but the way it was concluded undermines the democratic […]

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Afghan power sharing deal gets off to a shaky start

AAN •

Financial Times, 22 September 2014 In an article looking at the government of national unity deal, AAN’s Kate Clark is quoted: “In Afghanistan, positions are often considered as ‘spoils’ and a means of rewarding supporters; patronage underpins power and authority,” noted Kate Clark of the Afghanistan Analysts Network think-tank

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Ein Deal mit Makeln

AAN •

Wiener Zeitung, 22 September 2014 The German-language article in the Vienna-based newspaper picks up Kate Clark’s AAN analysis of the Afghan election outcome: “Durch das Abkommen muss die neue Administration mehr Arbeit schultern, als die Kontrahenten sich zu Beginn ihres Antretens vorstellen konnten”, heißt es in einer Analyse des “Afghanistan Analysts Network”. Im günstigsten Fall […]

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Wahldrama in Afghanistan zu Ende: Ghani gewählt, Regierung besiegelt

AAN •

ARD, 21 September 2014 The report of German state broadcaster on its main news show Tagesschau about the election outcome also quotes AAN’s Kate Clark (in German): “Wir reden über Afghanistan immer als Land nach einem Konflikt. Aber das stimmt nicht. In Afghanistan tobt ein bewaffneter Aufstand. In der Regierung und in der Opposition finden […]

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Afghanistan: Wahlkommission erklärt Ghani zum Präsidenten

AAN •

Tagesspiegel, 21 September 2014 In this article (in German) announcing the ‘outcome’ of the Afghan presidential election, the Berlin-based daily  quotes a recent AAN dispatch authored by Lola Cecchinel about the security context of the electional aftermath, on increasing numbers of fighters coming in from Pakistan and for Taleban territorial gains in Kunduz province.

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The ‘National Unity Government’ (NUG) deal (full text)

AAN •

As emailed to journalists by the US Embassy on 21 September 2014; articles of the constitution cited in the agreement are given after the text (added by AAN) Agreement between the Two Campaign Teams Regarding the Structure of the National Unity Government This period in Afghanistan’s history requires a legitimate and functioning government committed to […]

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Hängepartie in Kabul: Beim Streit um das Präsidentschaftsvotum geht es um die Demokratie in Afghanistan

Thomas Ruttig •

Neues Deutschland, 19 September 2014 Thomas Ruttig’s full guest article (in German) analyses the situation on the eve of the proclamation of the Afghan presidential election result, including the (then still pending) agreement on a “government of national unity”, saying that experience from other countries shows that such ‘grand coalitions’ often lead to political stagnation […]

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Afghan power-sharing accord held up by last-minute wrangle over election results

AAN •

Stars and Stripes, 18 September 2014 In this article about the pre-election result announcements positioning, AAN’s Kate Clark is quoted: “Kate Clark, a researcher with the Afghan [sic] Analysts Network, said the two camps were literally wrangling over the percentages of the election’s final results.”

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Portraits of Ghani and Abdullah. Photo c/o Tolonews.

Elections 2014 (50): Experience with ‘governments of national unity’ elsewhere

Thomas Ruttig •

In hindsight, it is difficult to find out who first had the idea of Afghanistan having a ‘government of national unity’ (GNU) as the way out of the Afghan electoral deadlock. Currently, however, it is promoted by almost all the international players and, at least in words – an agreement how to implement it is […]

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