Four Presidential Candidates Take Part in Second TV Debate

Fuente: 
Tolo News
Fecha de publicación: 
19 Feb 2014

Four Afghan presidential candidates participated in the second televised TOLOnews debate on Tuesday night, exchanging views on the country's security and domestic politics ahead of the April vote.

The candidates went head-to head into testy exchanges during the debate, which touched on security, corruption, women's rights.

The candidates answered questions for nearly two hours from moderator Mujahid Kakar.

Four presidential candidates - Daoud Sultanzoy, former member of Parliament, Mohammad Nader Naeem, nephew of President Daoud Khan, Hedayat Amin Arsala, former Minister of Finance and Qotbuddin Helal, formerly a leader of Heszb-i-Islami - participated in the second debate. Five other candidates participated in the first debate and two others have not participated.

Security, corruption, peace talks with Taliban insurgents and women's rights were the main subjects of the debate as the NATO foreign troops are to withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of 2014 and Afghan security forces will take over full security responsibility.

On security, Hedayat Amin Arsala said: "Cooperation between difference security forces should exist, defense, interior ministries and the National Directorate of Security."

"Motivation has been one of the main problems of the security forces..... Threats force 30,000 troops to leave every year," said Daoud Sultanzoy.

"Government needs to decrease gap and insecurity between people and government by providing services," said Mohammad Nader Naeem.

Hedayat Amin Arsala said: "The people of Afghanistan want peace and that will be our priority."

On peace talks with the Taliban, the candidates had different views.

Naeem said: "There are different groups that operate within Taliban. There are groups that take advantage of the insecurity of Afghanistan. There are two groups to Taliban, one that wants peace and the other doesn't."

"Taliban can issue fatwas that we aren't Muslims and the Taliban was a tool to serve the local and international intelligence which turned into ideology later on. The people of Afghanistan need to move towards a national goal, so that the Taliban are driven to the margins," said Sultanzoy.

"The killings of innocents are not permissible. Taliban is divided to many categories. Those who joined due to poverty, these are Taliban who are willing to join normal life and other groups are agents of intelligence agencies, we can convince them war is not in favor of anyone in the region," said Helal.

Arsala said: "If they try to get into Afghan politics through peaceful ways, we might give them a chair in the cabinet."

The upcoming elections have been portrayed as a pivotal litmus test for Afghan democracy and the future direction of the country. For women's advocates, with the NATO coalition withdrawing by December, the most important progress to protect, and build upon, is that of women's rights and roles in Afghan society.

The other topics were the economy and how to fight corruption.

"Poverty results in corruption, we will increase pensions and salaries through savings from corruption. We have programs for employment, unless we end a poor society, we can't end corruption," Sultanzoy said.

Mr. Aralsal said: "Afghans' pride has been stepped on with this corruption.... Administration over all must be reformed."

Helal said: "Anyone involved in corruption must be identified and should be put on trial. Identification of corrupt individuals can be through the lands occupied, contracts achieved, and wealth gathered and we will start a computerized system in the government offices."

"Ending corruption starts from the top, President and his VPs must be clean, not involved in corruption. Bureaucracy is one of the main sources of corruption in Afghanistan. Corruption has increased like cancer over the past 12 years," said Naeem.

On women's rights, Helal said that women must be educated and must be involved in society, but "it should be within the limits of Sharia."

But, the three other candidates had similar views. Naeem says that the "Afghan constitution has been formed within the framework of Islam, so our democracy is not in conflict with Islam."

Sultanzoy says: "People of Afghanistan have given sacrifices for democracy. Every person will have equal rights in front of law."

"We want an independent, developed, and Muslim Afghanistan," says Arsala.

The Presidential and Provincial Council elections will be held on 5 April 2014.