United Nations envoy bullish ahead of Afghan vote

KABUL (Reuters) - The United Nations' special envoy to Afghanistan gave a bullish forecast Tuesday ahead of this week's crucial presidential election, saying the build-up had exceeded all expectations and was a political milestone.

But Kai Eide's concern that security remained the key issue was bloodily underscored less than an hour later when a suicide car bomber attacked a convoy of foreign troops and killed seven people, among them two Afghans working for the United Nations.

Thursday's election, which pits President Hamid Karzai against 30 challengers, comes against a backdrop of increased violence by the Taliban and threats by the hardline Islamist group to severely disrupt the ballot.

The result is not only crucial for Afghanistan but also for U.S. President Barack Obama, who has poured thousands of extra troops into the country in a strategy shift that Washington hopes will end the war, triggered by the September 11, 2001, attacks.

"We did expect a more difficult security situation and we have been preparing for a more difficult security situation," Eide told a news conference in Kabul.

He said in a later statement he was "shocked and greatly saddened" by the deaths of the U.N. workers.

Eide told the news conference that the build-up to Thursday's vote had been a great success. "The campaign has exceeded my expectations and I believe they represent a milestone in political maturity in Afghanistan," he said.

"I'm not trying to hide that there have been irregularities, but my overall assessment is that this has been a success for the Afghan people."

The huge United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has had a key role in reconstruction and development since the Taliban's ousting in 2001. It helped organize the 2004 presidential election and a parliamentary poll in 2005.

Eide said Afghanistan's next great challenge would be forming an inclusive government of "competent and reform-minded individuals" rather than one made up of leaders from the past.

"Yes, there will be winners and there will be losers, but I am concerned about a situation where the winner takes it all, so to speak," he said.

"We must be able to form a consensus that is sufficient for the country to address its profound challenges."

He was speaking two days after the return from exile of General Abdul Rashid Dostum, a notorious militia commander who is also one of the country's political kingmakers.

Dostum, who won 10 percent of the vote in 2004, is not running in the election and his Uzbek supporters had threatened to withdraw their backing for Karzai unless he was allowed back.

Although a clear leader, Karzai faces a second round run-off against his nearest challenger if, as polls suggest, he fails to secure a majority of more than 50 percent Thursday.

Many Western experts and analysts fear he may have to dole out government positions to unqualified factional and ethnic minority leaders in exchange for their backing at the ballot box.