Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai (former Finance Minister) and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah (former Foreign Minister) are the latest candidates making their way into the August 20 Presidential Race for Afghanistan’s Presidential Palace known as Arg.

Afghan constitution requires every presidential candidate to nominate his/her two deputies while seeking nomination for himself. Therefore, the two deputies nominated by Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai are Muhammad Ayub Rafiqi and Dr. Muhammad Ali Nabizada. These faces are completely new to Afghan politics.

Earlier Dr. Abdullah Abdullah while seeking his nomination announced the names of his deputies who are Humayoon Shah Asifi (a political worker) and Chiragh Ali Chiragh (a Kabul University Professor)

While there still is a day to go before the date is closed for nomination of Presidential Hopefuls, these two figures are the toughest challenge for the sitting President who has planned to go for his re-election. However, Ali Ahmad Jalali (former Interior Minister) and Anwar-ul-Haq Ahadi (Former Finance Minister), who were highly expected to give Karzai a tough time, have failed to announce their candidature. To Karzai’s favor, earlier the former governor of Nangarhar Province Gul Agha Sherzai had withdrawn his candidature.