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October 26, 2009

The People of Afghanistan Want Change

Abdullah Abdullah, Der Spiegel

AP Photo

Last week, Afghan President Hamid Karzai agreed to submit to a run-off election against his challenger Abdullah Abdullah. But many are worried that a second vote might be just as marred by corruption as the first. SPIEGEL spoke with Abdullah about voter fraud, the need for good governance and the Afghan desire for change.

SPIEGEL: Three years ago, Afghan President Hamid Karzai dismissed you as foreign minister. Now you are his rival in the run-off. Do you feel a sense of gratification?

Abdullah: In 2004 I decided not to vote for him. We have different ideas, different visions. He believes in a strong, centralized system, I believe in a parliamentary system, which is more decentralized. He believes in individuals, I think, parties should become more...

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TAGGED: Abdullah Abdullah, Hamid Karzai, Barack Obama, SPIEGEL, Afghanistan, Independent Electoral Commission, Taliban, President , foreign minister

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