Editing Mohammad Qasim Fahim (section)

===Second term as Vice President===
In 2009, Fahim was chosen by incumbent President [[Hamid Karzai|Karzai]] as candidate for first Vice President in the [[2009 Afghan presidential election|2009 presidential election]]. Fahim by then had a reputation as one of Afghanistan's most powerful, brutal and corrupt warlords. Karzai's decision to include him on his ticket therefore dismayed international observers.<ref name=Telegraph100314 /> Many in Kabul alleged Marshal Fahim was at the time involved in criminal activities, including kidnapping for ransom. By choosing Fahim as his vice-president, Karzai was said to have stained his own credibility even further.<ref>Anderson, Jon Lee. "The Man In The Palace." ''The New Yorker'' 81.16 (2005): 60–73. ''Academic Search Premier''. Web. 21 February 2013.</ref><ref>[[Pamela Constable|Constable, Pamela]]. "Karzai's Would-Be Competition in Disarray." ''Washington Post, The'' 2009 May 3: ''Newspaper Source Plus.'' Web. 21 February 2013.</ref>

But for Karzai such considerations were trumped by Fahim's status as a leading member of Afghanistan's [[Tajik people|Tajik]] minority (the second largest ethnic grouping after Karzai's Pashtun community), which helped to split the Tajik vote which might otherwise have gone to Karzai's Tajik rival, [[Abdullah Abdullah]].<ref name=Telegraph100314 />

The election was won by Karzai and from 19 November on, Fahim again served as vice president.