KABUL (Pajhwok): The Hezb-i-Wahdat Milli Islami, led by Ustad Mohammad Akbari, on Tuesday announced withdrawing support to presidential candidate Gul Agha Sherzai and joining forces with his rival Zalmai Rassoul.
The party had earlier declared its support to Sherzai, a former governor, at a rally attended by hundreds of people in central Bamyan province. But Akbari told a party meeting in Kabul on Tuesday that the central council had decided to back Rassoul after prolonged deliberations.
He said Rassoul’s team believed in collective welfare and had the ability to strengthen national unity and put the country on the path to development. Akbari called on his party supporters to vote for Rassoul, a former foreign minister, in next month’s presidential elections.
President Hamid Karzai’s older brother Abdul Qayyum Karzai addressed the gathering on behalf of Rassoul and thanked the Hezb-i-Milli Wadat Islami Party for endorsing their candidate.
The party had previously pledged support to Sherzai, praising his team as a group of mujahidin. When asked in this regard, Akbari told Pajhwok there was a lot of difference between his party and Sherzai team when it came to campaigning.
He said efforts should always be made to select a better team. He said ending support to Sherzai did not mean entering any enmity with him, saying the selection of a better team needed a lot of time to decide.
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