US does not back any candidate in Afghan poll

KABUL (AFP/Reuters) - The United States is not backing any of the 41 contenders for the upcoming August 20
presidential election in Afghanistan, Washingtons Ambassador to Kabul told reporters on Sunday.
Former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, a leading opposition candidate, invited Afghan President Hamid
Karzai to a public debate ahead of the election.
But Abdullah, who came a distant second behind Karzai in an opinion poll released last week by a US-based
group, said the President needed to explain the worsening security situation in the country.
Quoting US President Barak Obamas speech on the official start of the two month campaign for the polls on
June 16, Karl Eikenberry said the US was seeking enduring partnership with Afghan people, not a particular
leader. Each nation gives life to democracy in its own way, grounded in the traditions of its own people, said
the ambassador, citing Obama.
The United States does not support or oppose any particular presidential or provincial council candidate, he
quoted the US president as saying.
Eikenberry, former commander of the Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan and an expert on East Asia,
said his country was supporting transparent and fair elections.
Once a darling of the West, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, who is running for re-election, has had
troubled relations recently with some western countries, in particular the US.
The United States seeks an enduring partnership with the Afghan people and not with any particular Afghan
leader, Eikenberry said. Karzais govt has been criticised for a rising bloody Taliban-led insurgency paralysing
a reconstruction drive, chronic corruption at high levels, failure in curbing the drugs trade and bad governance.
This election is a chance for the people to give the government a report on its performance in the past five
years, Eikenberry said.
He was speaking at a joint Press conference with one of the three front-runners for the elections, Abdullah
Abadullah, a former minister in Karzais government.
Karzai, Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, another former minister, are said to be the top three candidates.
Talking to reporters, Abdullah Abdullah, leading Opposition candidate, said, I want to challenge President
Karzai in a face-to-face debate. I want to understand how is it ... the security situation in Afghanistan after a while
turned from a better situation ... to a bad situation.
I have had no contact with the president. I am using this press conference to invite him to the debate, Abdullah
said.
Abdullah said the over-centralised nature of Karzais government was partly to blame for Afghanistans
increased dependence on foreign troops and repeated pledges to replace the presidency with a parliamentary
and prime ministerial system.