| Submit your comments on this article |
| Afghanistan |
| Karzai pulls off resignation threat |
| 2003-05-20 |
| Afghanistan's powerful regional governors have agreed to hand over hundreds of millions of dollars to the central government in a dispute over taxation. Let see if they follow through with the bucks. The deal was reached at a meeting in Kabul called by President Karzai who had threatened to resign if he did not get his way. "Go see how much good the moeny does you when all hell breaks loose" Correspondents say the issue has been indicative of the problems the president has had in establishing his authority across the country. The BBC's Kylie Morris in Kabul says the test now is to see if the agreement works in practice. It is estimated that provincial governors have been withholding up to $500m in annual customs revenue from the central government. They need it - kalishnikovs cost a lot, even in Peshawar. Interior Minister Ali Ahmad Jalali told the BBC that all of the governors and ministers have now agreed that the revenues from the provinces should be sent to the central government. They also agreed that strategies to expand the authority of the central government should be implemented immediately. "please expand the central govt over HIS province, not mine" Mr Jalali said the taxes would have to start to flow to stabilise the government. If not, he said, other measures would be considered. Our correspondent says President Karzai's move to summon all of the main players in Afghan politics to his palace for Tuesday's meeting was a risky strategy. Let's see, they could have shot him, they could have gotten boomed, they could have agreed to overthrow him, they could have started killing each other. But it has, on paper at least, worked. The governors arrived in Kabul in a flurry of four-wheel drive vehicles, even as Mr Karzai was threatening to call a loya jirga (grand assembly) if the governors failed to fall into line with him. "Oh no, not another loya jirga!!!" In a speech broadcast on state television on Sunday night, Mr Karzai said that day by day Afghans were becoming disillusioned with the government. He accused some provinces of collecting state revenues for their own finances and armies, adding that peace could not survive under those conditions. "if piece is gonna survive, private provincial armies are gonna have to be limited to what Dostum and Khan can earn as musical comedy stars" The president has expressed hope that by the end of week all provincial funds will become the funds of the central government. I wouldnt write too many checks on that though He has also expressed dismay at continued factional fighting. In the past week 17 people have died in fighting between local groups around the northern town of Mazar-e-Sharif. More fun with Kalishnikovs |
| Posted by:liberalhawk |
| #1 I really believe it's time Karzi(with massive U.S.support)laid the smack down on these thugs and disbanded thier private armys. |
| Posted by: Raptor 2003-05-21 06:28:55 |