KABUL, Afghanistan — Six weeks before the election in Afghanistan, at a meeting at the presidential palace, women’s rights activist Sima Samar gently teased President Hamid Karzai about being a short-timer.
Karzai suddenly grew emotional, Samar recalled. “To be honest, my sister, I am really counting down the days,” he told her.
“I am too tired. Every day that passes, my shoulders get lighter.”
If Karzai is relieved that his turbulent 13 years as president are all but over, he isn’t the only one.
Constitutionally barred from seeking another term, the elegant man who once charmed the world and embodied the hope of his nation is leaving behind a government ravaged by corruption, an economy dependent on international donors, a badly frayed alliance with the United States and a population still vulnerable to a Taliban insurgency.
It is a measure of Karzai’s lack of popularity that the only candidate to openly criticize him among the eight seeking his office, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, went on to win the first round on April 5. Yet in recent weeks, Karzai — who didn’t publicly back any candidate in the initial polling — is said to have met with both Abdullah and his likely opponent in a runoff vote, former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani, in a bid to ensure that he retains influence after his term ends.
Longtime observers say the moves are vintage Karzai: balancing opposing forces and rarely showing his cards. After he steps down, he is expected to move into an opulent official residence built near the palace complex, keeping him close to the center of Afghan public life for many more years.
“For all the flaws, and there are many, he’s a consummate politician,” said Ronald E. Neumann, the U.S. ambassador to Kabul from 2005 to 2007.
“When was the last time you saw an American president this late into his final term who was not only not a lame duck, but was the central figure in the politics of the country?”
Karzai’s term is due to end on Thursday, although he is likely to stay on until a new president takes office.
