Ashdown withdraws from race to be UN envoy in Afghanistan
The former Liberal Democrat leader said he lacked support from the Afghanistan government
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Sunday, 27, Jan 2008 11:06
Paddy Ashdown has decided to remove himself from the list of candidates being considered for the post of United Nations envoy to Afghanistan.
The move comes after the Afghan government said it preferred other candidates for the position. British commander General John McColl, who is currently serving as the Nato deputy commander in Europe, is being seen as a frontrunner for the position.
In a statement, the former Liberal Democrat leader said: "This job can only be done successfully on the basis of a consensus within the international community and the clear support of the government of Afghanistan.
"It is clear to me that, in Afghanistan at least, the support necessary to do the job effectively does not exist," he added.
Mr Ashdown has previously served as the high representative and the European Union special representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 2002 and 2006.
The move comes amid tensions between Britain and Afghanistan as Downing Street rejected suggestions made by Afghan president Hamid Karzai that inadequate troop numbers in Helmand province had hindered the fight against the Taliban.