There's something freaky going on at the Parliment building in Kabul.

[EFerrari]

I don't get it all but it looks like there was a dispute about a number of seats and Karzai sent tanks and helicopters to the building and had the Parliment's own security detail booted out. A blogger I follow said the opposition is going to have a press conference.

I don't see anything in the corporate media yet. :wtf:

This guy is in Kabul:

@LNajafizada Lotfullah Najafizada
Deputy speaker of the lower house, Ahmad Bahzad, accused President Karzai of conducting a "military coup" on the Parliament.
26 minutes ago via web

http://twitter.com/#!/LNajafizada/status/109874268493455361

This one is in DC:

@AhmadShuja Ahmad Shuja
Opposition MPs reportedly announce they'll hold a presser in front of the tanks outside the parliament building.
1 hour ago via TweetDeck
http://twitter.com/#!/AhmadShuja/status/109860168543645696

I hope there's no violence. It sounds pretty tense.

[Poll_Blind]

1. Nothing says Democracy like military hardware laying siege to a Legislative body.

Let's hope it was just an upside-down 9 instead of a six or whatever he's upset about. TY for the heads-up, BTW.

PB

[EFerrari]

3. It would be really nice if Afghanistan didn't go south right now.

But Karzai is a corrupt jerk and wouldn't put it past him to try to exploit the US et al busy with other things, Libya.

[MADem]

2. Whatever happened to his plans for an eventual private life, I wonder?

Very incomplete, but troubling nonetheless....

[EFerrari]

4. This seems to be the background story:

Afghanistan reshuffles Parliament
Published: Aug. 22, 2011 at 11:48 AM

KABUL, Afghanistan, Aug. 22 (UPI) -- Nine members of the Afghan Parliament lost their seats after an independent election commission announced its ruling on last year's marred contest.

Fazel Ahamd Manawi, director of the Afghan Independent Elections Committee, said decisions were made to end a political crisis stewing since last year.

"Today we have taken a very difficult and tough decision in order to end the election dispute though there was pressure from certain circles within the government," he was quoted by the McClatchy news service as saying.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai in December created an independent tribunal tasked with examining widespread fraud in September elections for the Wolesi Jirga, the lower house of Parliament. Karzai wanted 62 members invalided, while the United Nations wanted 17.


Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2011/08/22/Afghanistan-reshuffles-Parliament/UPI-53911314028080/#ixzz1Ws5DTdU6





http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2011/08/22/Afghanistan-reshuffles-Parliament/UPI-53911314028080/

[EFerrari]

5. It looks like there will be a demonstration.

@Pressistan Kabul Pressistan
"law coalition" parliamentary group threatens to bring down govt after police prevented 9 MPs disqualified by IEC from entering the house
44 minutes ago via web
http://twitter.com/#!/Pressistan/status/109877705037721600

@Pressistan Kabul Pressistan
Some of the MPs threaten to bring down Prez Karzai's administration if parliament crisis goes on. #Afghanistan
25 minutes ago via web
http://twitter.com/#!/Pressistan/status/109882675615109120

[leveymg]

6. Today Kabul, tomorrow DC . . .