KABUL (PAN): Three presidential candidates including incumbent head of the state Hamid Karzai, Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and Ramazan Bashardost Sunday outlined their programmes and priorities for the nation during a two-hour debate.
Aired live by the state-controlled electronic media and Radio Liberty, the debate that got under way at 5.30pm and concluded at 7.30pm covered involved key issues facing Afghanistan. Radio Liberty chief Akbar Ayazi hosted the discussion that came after a lot of waiting.
The debate largely focused on topics such as national security, a framework for peace talks with Taliban, foreign policy issues, a halt to civilian casualties, alleviating unemployment and giving women their due rights.
Each candidate was given three minutes to answer a question during the discussion, with the first query posed to Ramazan Bashardost, who was asked as to why he decided to jump into the electoral fray. He replied his decision was driven by a dearth of a realistic and truthful aspirant to the top slot.
"I have asked all Afghans not to take at face value the speech of any hopeful including me and vote for someone only after taking an objective look at their work experience," said the French-educated politician, born in southern Ghazni province in 1965.
In response to the same question, Dr, Ashraf Ghani said he wanted to resolve the problems of his compatriots by implementing his 10-year plan and using his vast experience as an economist and an educationist.
In order to cope with the security challenge and minimise civilian deaths, the debate participants proposed different remedies. Bashardost, who linked instability to injustice and the presence of criminals in the present administration, said rebels had cited similar reasons for militancy in the country.
Dr. Ghani underlined the role of tribal elders in bringing security to the war-devastated nation. Without the involvement of tribal and jihadi leaders, the former finance minister warned, the security situation would continue to deteriorate.
He thought the issue could not be resolved in a year; up to seven years would be required to satisfactorily deal with the complex challenge. Public confidence and administrative reforms held the key to the restoration of stability, proposed the former World Bank official.
Ghani tied widespread corruption and lack of a viable security plan to soaring casualties being suffered by Afghanistan's nascent army and police force.
Presenting his strategy, President Karzai said he would call a Loya Jirga on the security issue if he was re-elected in the August 20 polls. He went on to promise that Taliban and Hezb-i-Islami Afghanistan (HIA) representatives would also be invited to the jirga.
Cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan was critical to the enforcement of security, remarked the president, who claimed having made several efforts over the last seven years to convene such a forum. However, he complained, his endeavours drew little support from the global fraternity including neighbouring countries.
If re-elected, Karzai said all counter-insurgency operations would be conducted by Afghan forces. He also promised to close down foreign troops' detention centres in Afghanistan.
All the three candidates conceded unemployment was a huge problem. They vowed to take strides towards creating job opportunities for Afghans. Ghani said he had plans in agriculture, livestock, construction, mine extraction, municipal services, communication and transport sectors to overcome joblessness.
Bashardost viewed unemployment as the root cause of insecurity, saying thousands of Afghans were jobless but doctors from Iran, masons from Pakistan and security guards from the Philippines were serving in the impoverished country.
In a rare show of unity, all the three stressed equal rights for women and their role in society. They promised to ameliorate the lot of females -- constituting almost 50 percent of the population.
Karzai was invited to debate by his close rivals Dr. Abdullah Abdullah and Dr. Ashraf Ghani soon after the election campaign began on June 16. In response to the challenge, the incumbent president and his campaign managers said he was ready to sit with the contenders who knew the principles of debate.
Although Dr. Ghani and Abdullah took part in a debate on Tolo TV last month, President Karzai stayed away from the programme.
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