By Mohammad Akram Andishmand
Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai has ten weak points that his rival Dr. Abdullah Abdullah in Saturday’s runoff election doesn’t have.
- Illness:
Dr. Ashraf Ghani has confirmed he regularly takes medicine for stomach problem. But Dr. Abdullah Abdullah has no health problem.
- Oldness
Dr. Ashraf Ghani is old as compared to Dr. Abdullah, who has strong physiques and is more energetic. At an old age, one’s ability to work declines and eagerness to power enhances. Ghani once fell to the ground semi-unconscious during a campaign gathering in western Herat province.
- Huff and aggression
Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai is an unpredictable person as he suddenly gets angry and becomes fierce. He has shown his this attitude several times during this campaign addresses. An aggressive person when at the Presidential Palace may not represent a soft image of the country to the world. On the other hand, Dr. Abdullah is calm and normal.
- Loud talk
Dr. Ashraf Ghani speaks extraordinary loud. He forgets he is speaking in front of microphone and people can easily hear his voice.
His loud voice irritates listeners during speeches; it may be due to his aggressive behavior that he cannot control his voice.
- Foreign spouse and citizenship
Ghani had dual nationality until recently when he shunned his US citizenship, a precondition to contest the presidential election under the country’s Constitution that says the president should be only an Afghan citizen.
He spent three decades of his life in the West and married a woman from a different religious background. On the contrary, Dr Abdullah had never obtained a foreign citizenship nor lived outside of Afghanistan.
- Ethnic rivalry:
The Constitution of Afghanistan bars all forms of discrimination against tribes and considers fueling rifts among tribes a serious crime. However, Dr. Ashraf Ghani during his election campaign tried to fuel differences between Abdali and Hotaki tribes, without thinking such efforts could endanger stability of Afghanistan.
But Dr. Abdullah Abdullah during his campaign rallies stressed national unity and eradication of differences on ethnic line among ordinary Afghans.
- Exaggeration:
Dr. Ashraf Ghani’s promises to the people of Afghanistan during his election campaign don’t seem matching the ground realties and resources available in Afghanistan. He has promised to generate millions of jobs and build one million houses if succeeded.
On the other hand, Dr. Abdullah has no exaggerated claims during his election campaign; he clearly stated that he doesn’t make false promises that are out of our stake.
- Weak social acceptance:
Dr. Ashraf Ghani doesn’t have the support of all tribes inside Afghanistan, something important for a person who wishes to be the head of state.
The importance of Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, his first vice-presidential pick, is nothing more than a ticket to the reach presidential palace. During his visits to southern Afghanistan in the lead up to the April 5 election, Dostum had never accompanied Ahmadzai, but showed up in every rally in the north.
Dr. Abdullah is a symbol of national unity and has vote bank in every tribe and every part of the country.
- Unfamiliarity with political scenarios in Afghanistan
Dr. Ashraf Ghani has spent much of his life in the West, where he studied until doctorate degree, however, he has promised to promote traditional politics in Afghanistan. He vowed to strengthen tribalism in Afghanistan instead of the creation of a modern society based on democratic norms.
- Living abroad away from people:
Dr. Ashraf Ghani has spent most of his life outside of Afghanistan and was never involved in the Jihad against the Soviets nor was he present in Afghanistan at that important era.
On the contrary, Dr. Abdullah spent his whole life inside Afghanistan in difficult circumstances; he is a reliable person, who lived among the masses in times of peace and war.
Disclaimer:
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Pajhwok Afghan News’s editorial policy.
