By Majid Qarar
 
Elections are simply won through votes and obviously none but Rashid Dustom has the votes that may enable Ghani to emerge the victor in Saturday’s runoff election.
Thus, if election is to be won, stop blaming Ghani, blame the elections. Those who blame Ghani for his pick and present such arguments, have two messages to convey. Either they want Ghani not to run, win, and let the government system to collapse, or they are campaigning for someone else and thus use smear campaigns against Ghani. There is no other purpose for their quest.
The problem, they have, emanates from ignorance of political system, rather than lack of understanding of Ghani's policies.
Politics is a game of feat and defeat. Islamic jurisprudence uses the theory of balance for politics. The theory suggests balancing the good with better and bad with worse and thus choosing the better or lesser evil.
However, the Afghans approach politics on principles of controversy rather than theory of balance or Islamic jurisprudence. These people only observe the weakness rather than the positive points of Ghani that are immense. 
Political idealism does not imply absoluteness and in politics wishes are relatively accomplished.
Unfortunately, we perform political reasoning with poetic heart rather than mind. We are drawn by a verse of a song far more than logical reasons while essentially in politics as in medicine, emotions are to be disregarded. Political leader has to heartlessly perform surgical operations of societal issues, however, if poets, for example, are assigned as surgeon, the sympathetic and seemingly nice poet would be weeping while the patient gradually breathe his/her last.
To suddenly collapse is better than simply standing, is what a friend wrote me days past, however, such option is dreadful in politics and in war. This young man fails to predict disastrous outcomes of fall of nations and consequences of wars.
Such adage could be useful in personal life, but impractical in decisions about fate of nations. Our politics are like poetry full of exaggeration, satire and rhetoric verses that brings tears to the eyes, but fails to bring us to our senses.
The centuries old Arabic wise saying stands out in regards to politics that says, seeking all is losing all. 
At a glance on the recent Afghan media particularly social media, we can learn that Afghans have lost their enemy.  They have skipped war criminals, abductors, murderers, and land grabbers of the past three decades, as well as suicide bombers, evil neighbors, Jews, Israel, Syria and everything else and have wholeheartedly rushed to condemn the most valuable asset of the country.
We praise not personality of Ghani, but values behind his personality.
We perceive Ghani not as person, but a path and even if he leaves the path, there will be perambulator. There are about a dozen values behind Ghani's personality, thus he is mentioned here.
First and his foremost value is his broad knowledge. Knowledge is one of the two main characteristics of a leader followed by integrity.
Second value in Ghani is his decisiveness, knowledge, and personality for the current circumstances.
Third value is his meaningful and attractive slogans, and plans. For instances the motto of his team Change and Continuity and its logical balance has been unprecedented.
Fourth value is the personalities of those backing him. We are expecting some more figures to join, If it happens it will make it a strong alliance of experienced cadres and talented people.
If you fail to predict future, you can evaluate his background. Hanif Atmar, one of his supporters transformed Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development MRRD. He also brought positive changes in the Ministry of Education MoE and during his short tenure in Ministry of Interior Affairs MoI; he was hard on kidnappers and other criminals.
When MRRD fall into the hand of Jamiate the things went bad. Why did Jalali resign? and why was Ramazan Bashardost expelled from parliament?
Why do we expect good from those who committed crimes in the past? and why do we fear from those whose backgrounds are filled with achievements, hard work and transparency?
Fifth value is that he supports youth more than he does the old. Instead of dozens of advisors, he gathers 500 youth into the presidential palace and make political majority out of the four minorities.
After visiting campaign office of one of the three leading candidates and asked what are your programs, plans and promises for involving youth. There are many relatives of the Haji Sahib and no lack of youth to be involved and encourage others, the campaign official responded. If one fails to do any other evaluation of the candidates, he/she can at least pay a visit to campaign offices of Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and another candidate. 
Sixth value is that he is internationally respected; he is confident and bold in the international arenas. He was nominated for candidacy of UN leadership which requires international reliability and he did have it.
Seventh value is his working experience and becoming best finance minister of his time. He added to the value of the Afghan currency. He planned national solidarity program. He developed Kabul University. He promised breaking United Nations from the big powers during his nomination for United Nations leadership. He centralized the custom and its revenues. He saved face of Afghanistan during the Kabul conference and encouraged the world that Afghans can draft their own plans. Ended the hassle over strategic agreement and facilitated the security transfer.  Hundreds of other such achievements are result of his hard work even though he had no political power. You can imagine more transformation if he is granted resources, political power and authority.
As a leader of the security commission his successes in the field has proven his unlimited experience.
Eight value is his character prior and post the election campaign and his logic. Terming his campaign as part of his power, he got Dostum to be first among the armed leaders to ask for apology for his past actions. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai has already made plans for assisting internally displaced people, delegated assignments to youth, discussed national issues, ended rift between south and north, created educated youth group and will witness other achievements by him in the coming.
Ninth value is the initiation of the work on peace process. Releasing 5000 innocent or prisoners who had spent longtime in the Bagram airbase without any official allegations against them and facilitating repatriation of the internally displaced persons are other steps he has taken for bringing peace.
Tenth value is having satisfactory framework on foreign relations. He believes on having friendly relations with the Islamic world despite the fact that such relations were influenced due the interest of Iran and other countries. Promotes relations with Sunni especially Arab Islamic countries and opens doors of other resources to Afghanistan.
Eleventh value is his expertise on nation building, his strategic vision and his popularity in the world stage. It also merits a mention that his academic articles are being taught in credible universities.
Unfortunately, our writers are skilled in making readers weep rather than making them brighter and far more learned on issues. However, I beg them to write stuff that brings us understanding, knowledge and cognition than tears in our eyes. Deliver and convey me your knowledge than your sorrow!
Pajhwok Afghan News note on media debate
Pajhwok Afghan News publishes articles of the campaigners and supporters of the presidential candidates in which the writers have pointed out capabilities and reasons for choosing their ideal candidate and weaknesses of the rival candidate.
As Pajhwok Afghan News is an independent media organization and thus does not challenge any writing and delivers the writers views as they are, for you to decide.