Afghanistan: Politics, Elections, and Government Performance

"The limited capacity and widespread corruption of all levels of Afghan governance are factors in
congressional debate over the effectiveness of U.S. policy in Afghanistan and in implementing a
transition to Afghan security leadership. That transition is to be completed by the end of 2014, a
timeframe agreed to by the United States, its international partners, and the Afghan government.
While trusting only his closest allies, most of whom are ethnic Pashtuns, Karzai has tried to
satisfy leaders of other ethnic and political faction leaders. However, some of these faction
leaders oppose Karzai on the grounds that he is too willing to make concessions to insurgent
leaders in search of a settlement, and that he has tried to use his office to manipulate Afghan
institutions and election results to the advantage of him and his faction. A dispute over the results of the 2010 parliamentary elections paralyzed governance for nearly a year, but appears to have been resolved in August 2011 with Karzai’s suspension of a special court that sought to remove the declared winners of nearly a quarter of the seats of the elected lower house of parliament. Karzai also has tried, through direct denials, to quell assertions by his critics that he wants to stay in office beyond the 2014 expiration of his second term, the limits under the constitution..."