Who's who in Afghan presidential race?

By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL, Afghanistan (AA) - Many front-runners have jumped ships prior to the Afghan presidential elections scheduled for July.

The landlocked country linking south and central Asia has gone through unmatched upheavals in the recent past.

After relinquishing monarchy in the 20th Century, Afghanistan transformed into a republic and experimented with communism and hard-line Islamism before adopting the western-backed capitalist democracy with the U.S. invasion in 2001.

Since then, three presidential elections have been held -- all marred by rampant allegations of fraud, glitches and irregularities.

A total of 18 candidates are set to compete in the fourth presidential elections on July 7. They include President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, his power-sharing CEO Abdullah Abdullah, former National Security Adviser Mohammad Haneef Atmar, and seasoned former Mujahideen leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.

The proposed elections are overshadowed by renewed talks between the U.S. and Taliban.

- Unfinished agenda

Ghani, a former World Bank economist, has entered the race to retain his power with the slogan of "State Builders", promising to complete the unfinished reform agenda. The 69-year-old has joined hands with his former critic and former spy chief Amrullah Saleh and professor Sarwar Danish.

Ghani has been appreciated for his efforts toward state building but his power remains limited as a U.S.-brokered deal made him share power in the National Unity Government with Abdullah.

There have been no pre-poll surveys yet but Ghani's team is expected to lead with its reform and peace agenda.

The year 2019 coincides with the country’s 100th year of independence and Ghani has craftily played this card vowing to complete the legacy of King Amanullah Khan, ruler of the Kingdom of Afghanistan from 1919 to 1929, who many consider, symbolizes modern values and reform.

The first vice president, Abdul Rahseed Dostum, played a key role in Ghani’s victory five years ago. But, this ethnic Uzbek leader with phenomenal clout in a number of northern provinces is not by Ghani's side this time.

CEO Abdullah is among the leading competitors to Ghani.

Abdullah managed to grab symbolic support of the leading Jamiat-e-Islami party but big guns of this party -- Atta Mohammad Noor, Yonus Qanooni, Ismail Khan and Bismillah Khan -- have already joined the bandwagon of Atmar.

Ghani’s proposed deputy, Saleh, is also from the same Jamiat party that has been at the center stage of power in post-Taliban Afghanistan.

- Opposition

Atmar could also give tough competition to Ghani considering his clout in the Pashtun ethnic group in Afghanistan.

Atmar was Ghani’s longstanding ally for years until in August last year when he parted ways citing ‘serious differences’. He has on his side Qanoni, former vice president, Mohammad Mohaqiq, influential leader of the Shia-Hazara community, and an array of former government officials and diplomats.

Hekmatyar is arguably the most phenomenal candidate. The 70-year-old led Afghan Mujahideen in trenches against the Soviets. In the 90s, he engaged in turf war in the Mujahideen camps before going into self exile.

He is among the only three leading candidates who has not promised to change the presidential system of governance. Both Abdullah and Atmar have pledged to create a post of prime minister.