by Abdul Haleem

Afghanistan Independent Election Commission (IEC), after weeks of reviewing complaints against presidential candidates, on Saturday announced the final list of those on the run to secure the country's top slot.

Addressing a news conference here, chairman of IEC Azizullah Ludin said the names of the 41 candidates had been finalized to contest the forthcoming presidential election set for August 20 in the post-Taliban nation.

However, the country's next president would face enormous challenges ranging from ensuring security to improving living conditions, a legacy of lingering war.

Prominent among the contenders are the sitting President Hamid Karzai, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah and Karzai's former colleague, the erstwhile Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai.

The war-weary Afghans, who have extremely suffered due to protracted Taliban-led militancy, poverty, unemployment and corruption, are pining hope on the next president to heal their wounds.

Election campaign, according to IEC, would formally begin on June 16 and close on August 17, just 48 hours before the beginning of voting on August 20.

However, the enthusiasm among the aspirants have already embarked on hectic canvassing to point early scores against their rivals.

Corner meetings and receptions have become a routine in the capital city Kabul and provinces where the presidential candidates unveil their programs and manifestos for the election to win people's support.

The top three contenders, namely Hamid Karzai, Dr. Abdullah and Ahmadzai as the three former colleagues, have begun hurling charges of corruption and inefficiency against their rivals.

Hamid Karzai who secured 55.4 percent of votes in 2004 presidential election and became the first elected president of Afghanistan has promised to complete his agenda which is bringing durable stability and prosperity of the country.

However, in the bid to win voters' backing, Dr. Abdullah has described the Karzai administration as inefficient, while Ahmadzai said the present administration is corrupt and criticized that Karzai is using state machinery for his election campaign.

To bag more votes, the leading candidates, according to media reports, have already begun lobbying as President Karzai has already won the support of leading cleric leader Shikh Asif Mohsini while powerful governor of Balkh province Atta Mohammad Noor would back Abdullah in the race.

Afghans generally are of the view that both the government and the international community have failed to ensure viable security, provide job opportunities, alleviate poverty and curb corruption in the war-torn country.

Security situation, according to Afghans, has sharply deteriorated in comparison to past years as 10 districts, mostly in the restive southern provinces, are out of government control.

Taliban militants furthermore have influenced their presence in the relatively peaceful northern provinces and begun attacking the government and the U.S.-led forces since beginning of this year.

Some 6,000 people, with more than 2,100 of them civilians, had been killed in violent incidents last year mostly in the U.S.-led air strikes and Taliban suicide and roadside bombings, while increasing violent incidents are predicted to claim more lives this year.

A great challenge for Afghanistan's next leadership would be protecting civilians during military operations against Taliban militants.

Thousands of non-combatants have been killed in the U.S.-led war on terror over the past eight years in Afghanistan and the recent example was the killing of 140 civilians including women and children in Balablok district of western Farah province early May.

The war-weary people who have enormously suffered due to prolonged war, militancy, poverty, and unemployment are yet to decide whom to vote for.

Continued Taliban-led militancy and bad economy have forced millions of Afghans to seek jobs in neighboring countries, especially in Iran and Pakistan.

These desperate Afghans sometimes also put their lives at risk by adopting dangerous tactics to elude the custom officials of foreign countries.

Forty-six Afghan immigrants were suffocated to death while being illegally shifted to Iran in a container via Pakistan's Balochistan province.

Over 17 million eligible Afghan electorates would go to the ballot on August 20 to elect the country's head of state in the post-Taliban Afghanistan.

"We need a president who is capable enough to stabilize security, provide jobs to the people, and check corruption in government departments," Mohammad Karim, a labor, told Xinhua in Kabul.

Source: Xinhua