阿富汗卡爾扎伊考慮提前舉行大選

Afghanistan could be headed for early presidential elections to ensure Afghans are not going to the polls at the same time foreign troops are pulling out. Afghan President Hamid Karzai raised the possibility of holding a vote next year - and not in 2014 - during a news conference Thursday with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in Kabul. Mr. Karzai said he has discussed the possibility with his inner circle but that no decision has yet been made. The Afghan leader is required to step down in 2014, just as international combat forces are scheduled to leave the country. There have been concerns the combination of an election just as Afghan forces are taking over complete responsibility for security could put the country under too much strain.

President Karzai won a second five-year term in 2009. The Afghan constitution bars him from seeking re-election. During Thursday's press briefing, NATO's secretary-general said the coalition was on track to fully hand over security responsibility to Afghan security forces by the end of 2014, as scheduled. Rasmussen said that Afghan forces were increasingly capable of taking the lead as foreign troops leave. He also said NATO's commitment to Afghanistan will remain strong even after foreign combat troops withdraw. Rasmussen said the next phase of the transition will be mapped out at next month's NATO summit in the U.S. city of Chicago. Negotiations are currently underway on a U.S.-Afghan strategic agreement that will outline the U.S. presence in the country beyond 2014.阿富汗可能會提前舉行總統大選以確保阿富汗民衆不是在外國軍隊撤出阿富汗的同時前往投票站投票。阿富汗總統卡爾扎伊星期四在喀布爾與北約祕書長拉斯穆森召開的聯合記者會上提出了在明年，而不是2014年，舉行總統大選的可能。卡爾扎伊說，他與身邊的核心領導層討論了提前舉行大選的可能性，但還沒有做出決定。卡爾扎伊需要在2014年卸任，但此時正值國際作戰部隊計劃撤離阿富汗的時候。人們擔心，阿富汗舉行總統大選再加上阿富汗軍隊完全接管安全防務職責可能會讓阿富汗承擔過多壓力。

卡爾扎伊2009年贏得第二個五年任期。阿富汗憲法禁止卡爾扎伊謀求第三次連任。在星期四的記者招待會上，北約祕書長拉斯穆森說，聯軍正按計劃在2014 年底前將安全責任全面移交給阿富汗安全部隊。拉斯穆森說，隨着外國軍隊的撤走，阿富汗部隊領導安全事務的能力在日益增強。他還說，即使外國作戰部隊撤走後，北約對阿富汗的承諾仍然是強有力的。拉斯穆森說，下一階段的移交工作計劃將於下個月北約在美國城市芝加哥召開峯會時制定出來。目前有關美國與阿富汗戰略協議的談判正在進行。該協議將列出2014年後美國在阿富汗的存在的綱要。