Afghan President Karzai promises will step down in 2014

WASHINGTON: Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai said Friday that he would stand down at the end of his term in 2014, as foreseen by Afghan law, and allow a successor to be elected.

"The greatest of my achievements eventually, seen by the Afghan people, will be a proper, well-organized, interference-free election in which the Afghan people can elect their next president. And certainly I will be a retired president, and very happily a retired president," he said. (AFP)