Afghan Presidential Candidates

UNCLAS KABUL 001440 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/FO, SCA/A NSC FOR JWOOD OSD FOR SHIVERS CG CJTF-101, POLAD, JICCENT E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL AF SUBJECT: Afghan Presidential Candidates ¶1. (U) Provided below, for addressees' reference, is a list of declared and likely presidential candidates. Addressees should take care when dealing with those listed not to convey the misimpression of USG endorsement for a particular candidacy. The list is not exhaustive; it is subject to change. We include minimal bio information only for those candidates who would not be well known to addressees. ¶2. (SBU) Declared and Likely Presidential Candidates * President Karzai * Yunous Qanooni - Speaker of the Lower House * Ali Ahmad Jalali - Minister of Interior from January 2003 to September 2005; Pashtun * Mustafa Zahir - Grandson of the late King Zahir Shah; director of the Afghan Environmental Protection Department. * Dr. Anwarulhaq Ahadi - Minister of Finance and head of the Afghan Millat Party; Pashtun * Mohammad Hanif Atmar - Minister of Education; Pashtun * Dr. Abdullah Abdullah - Foreign Minister from 2001 to 2006; strongly associated with Panjshiri Tajiks. * Edayat Amin Arsallah - Senior Minister in the Karzai cabinet * Mawlawi Abdul Aziz Ahmadzai - An Ahmadzai tribe Pashtun, who fought against the Soviets; chairman of the Kabul Provincial Council, religiously oriented. * Engineer Ehsanullah Bayat - Owner of the AWCC cell phone company and Ariana TV station, founder of the Bayat Foundation, a charity. * Zabiullah Ghazi Nooristani - Leader of the Justice and Development Party of Afghanistan; probable U.S. green card holder. * Ashraf Ghani - Academic and former World Bank executive; finance minister in the Afghan interim government. DELL