Major concerns linger over fairness of coming election as multiple Afghan candidates declare runs

Democracy, elections and voting at Democracy Chronicles

Afghan election candidates rush to register

Afghanistan’s presidential election race sparked a last-minute rush of candidates as nominations closed on Sunday for next April’s poll, with former finance minister Ashraf Ghani among the leading names to register. The final days of the nomination.

Ex-warlord who met Bin Laden runs for Afghan presidency

Abdul Rasul Sayyaf, a former Islamist warlord who trained the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, enters Afghanistan’s presidential election race, triggering alarm among Western diplomats.