Kabul, August 17: Afghanistan’s incumbent president, Hamid Karzai has attended a live televised election debate with two of his main rivals, ahead of Thursday’s presidential poll.
Karzai was taken to task by two rival candidates, independent lawmaker Ramazan Bashar-doust and former finance minister Ashraf Ghani.
But former foreign minister and presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah, the man seen as Karzai’s strongest challenger, did not attend the debate.
The debate comes as Afghanistan is to hold its second presidential election since the 2001 ouster of the Taliban on August 20, 2009.
Karzai said that civilian casualties caused by the US-led forces remains one of ‘the most difficult challenges’ facing the future Afghan government.
He added that fortunately, the figures were declining, but more needed to be done.
Meanwhile, Bashar-doust rejected Karzai’s claims of a decline in casualties calling the president’s ‘assessment a myth’.
He said in order to have a peaceful Afghanistan; candidates must prove their words with action.
Former finance minister Ashraf Ghani for his part said that stability can be achieved only through a political framework and not by force.
All candidates promised they would create better educational and employment opportunities for women if elected.
—–Agencies