Afghan presidential candidate field narrowed down to 10 Presidential shortlist Afghanistans Independent Election Commission (IEC) announced on Tuesday that it had disqualified 16 presidential candidates from next Aprils election due to improper documents and other violations, including dual nationalities and lacking a university degree (AP, NYT, Pajhwok, Post, RFE/RL, VOA). While most of the contenders who were disqualified were relatively unknown national figures, Anwarul Haw Ahadi, a former commerce and finance minister, also had his application to run denied. Ahmad Yousuf Nuristani, the head of the IEC, said the disqualified candidates have 20 days to raise any objections with the commission, at least 10 of which said they plan to do so (Pajhwok). The disqualifications leave 10 candidates in the running to replace current Afghan President Hamid Karzai, including Qayim Karzai, his brother, and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, a former foreign minister and 2009 presidential candidate. The countrys National Directorate of Security (NDS) also revealed on Tuesday that it had fired 65 intelligence officers after discovering they were addicted to heroin (Reuters). According to Rahmatullah Nabil, the acting head of the intelligence agency, the men were discovered through a program to remove drug users from the NDSs ranks and our efforts will continue. The program, which began in Kabul, will soon be expanded to all 34 Afghan provinces. Nabil did not provide further information about when the firings actually occurred. News of the firings came as a senior American military officer told the New York Times on Tuesday that insurgent groups operating inside Afghanistan are expected to wage an unusually aggressive campaign this winter (NYT). While the Afghan Taliban has typically used the cold-weather months to rest, retrain, and further their agenda politically, it appears that they are going to continue fighting this year due to the upcoming presidential elections next April and the continuing coalition withdrawal. Speaking on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Brussels, the anonymous officer said they expect attempts at high-profile attacks, attempts at targeted killings of political officials, election officials and candidates, instead of traditional battlefield engagements. The United States passed a grim milestone on Tuesday when reports emerged that at least 2,150 American soldiers have died in Afghanistan since 2001 (AP). Of those deaths, at least 1,781 were the result of hostile action. An additional 19,416 U.S. service members have been wounded while fighting in the country.
Posted on: Wed, 23 Oct 2013 15:46:30 +0000
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