Campaign

KABUL (Pajhwok): Hours before an end to the two-month campaign period, thousands of people gathered in support of presidential runner Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai at the Wolesi Jirga tent in Kabul on Wednesday.

BAMYAN CITY (Pajhwok): Some election campaigners on Wednesday said they had abandoned presidential candidates Dr. Abdullah Abdullah and Qutbuddin Hilal and joined another runner Dr Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai in central Bamyan province.
Hazrat Mohammad, who identified himself as head of Hilal’s campaign office in Bamyan, told reporters that he along with other campaigners had joined Ahmadzai’s campaign team.
He said they took the decision to switch sides after listening to Ahmadzai explaining his programmes for the country’s development.

KABUL (Pajhwok): With the election campaign ending tonight, thousands of people attended rallies in support of three presidential candidates in Kabul and northern Faryab province.
In Kabul, hundreds of people took part in a rally supporting presidential runner Dr. Zalmai Rassoul.
Addressing the gathering, Abdul Majeed Mubarez, head of Kabul residents’ council, said they had decided to vote for Rassoul after thoroughly analysing all candidates’ strategies and programmes.

KABUL (Pajhwok): The campaign for presidential and provincial council elections is scheduled to come to an end tonight at 12:00pm.
The campaign for presidential candidates kicked off on February 2 and provincial council aspirants on March 4. Under the electoral law, the campaign should conclude 48 hours ahead of the voting day.
The presidential and provincial council elections will be held Saturday. Eight candidates are in run for the presidency while 2,600 contenders are contesting 458 provincial council seats.
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GARDEZ/TIRINKOT (Pajhwok): Presidential runner Gul Agha Sherzai on Tuesday accused the government of refusing to check the use of state resources in favour of a specific candidate.
“The president, supporting Zalmai Rassoul, has been silent on the use of government resources by certain officials in his favour,” he told a gathering in Gardez, the capital of southeastern Paktia province.

KABUL (Pajhwok): As electioneering is gaining momentum, presidential runners Zalmai Rassoul, Dr Abdullah Abdullah and Abdul Rab Rassoul Sayyaf on Tuesday addressed gatherings amid promises to launch record development projects if they won the April 5 elections.
Speaking to thousands of supporters in central Bamyan province, Rassoul promised he would invest in the Haji Gak iron-ore project to create job opportunities for youth.
The mine in central Bamyan province, estimated to contain around 1.8 billion tonnes of high-quality iron ore deposits, was discovered 50 years ago.

KABUL (Pajhwok): Thousands of residents gathered in the capital Kabul on Tuesday, pledging support to front-line presidential runner Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai.
The gathering was attended by former interior minister Ali Ahmad Jalali, Right and Justice Party leader Mohammad Hanif Atmar, ex-minister of economy Anwarul Haq Ahadi, a number of politicians and tribal elders.

LASHKARGAH/JALALABAD/ASADABAD (Pajhwok): As the April 5 elections draw closer, the presidential race has gained momentum, with candidates wooing voters in several provinces of the country on Monday.
Huge public gatherings were held in different provinces in support of Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, Abdul Rab Rassoul Sayyaf, Mohammad Shafiq Gul Agha Sherzai and Zalmai Rasoul.
A large number of people from different tribes, including Alizai, Baloch and Noorzai, gathered in southern Helmand province and announced their support to Ahmadzai.

MAHMUD RAQI (Pajhwok): Thousands of people on Monday in northeastern Kapisa province announced support for presidential contender Qutbuddin Hilal.
Haji Mohammad Asif, candidate for provincial council, told the gathering that people of his province wanted Islamic system in the country and they had decided to vote in favour of Hilal.
He said Hilal would offer greater role to Mujahedeen in the government once he was elected as president of the country.
Qazi Najibullah, another speaker, asked Hilal to help develop Kapisa after he won the presidential polls.

BAMYAN CITY (Pajhwok): Presidential hopeful Dr. Abdullah Abdullah Monday promised resolving the long-standing dispute between locals and the nomadic Kochi tribe once and for all if he won next Saturday’s election.
Addressing thousands of supporters in central Bamyan province, he assured no one would be allowed to politicise the Kochi issue. He promised revolutionary changes in the lives of Bamyan people by developing agriculture, paving roads and strengthening the energy sector.