Presidential Candidates

15. Mohammad Yunos QANUNI Born: 1957 (Hegira 1336) in Panjsher Valley (until 2004 part of Parwan Province) Political Affiliation: New Afghanistan Party (Hizb-e Afghanistan-e Nawin); also heads the 12-party National Reconciliation Front First Vice-Presidential Running Mate in 2004: Taj Mohammad Wardak Second Vice-Presidential Running Mate in 2004: Sayyed Hosayn Alemi Balkhi

Qanuni, an ethnic Tajik from the Panjsher Valley, is widely regarded as a formidable political rival to Hamid Karzai. He leads the National Reconciliation Front, a coalition created specifically for these parliamentary elections after Karzai won the presidency in 2004. Qanuni has said he created the electoral alliance with an eye to achieving harmony among the different parties within it.     He is a former United Front (aka Northern Alliance) leader who served as deputy defense minister and then interior minister during the 1992-96 mujahedin government of President Burhannudin Rabbani. He has not been identified by international groups as a suspected violator of human-rights or war-criminal in Afghanistan. Qanuni survived an assassination attempt that has since forced him to walk with a cane.     Qanuni also served under Karzai as interior minister and then education minister in the post-Taliban Interim and subsequent Transitional administrations, but reportedly elected to seek the presidency after Karzai dropped the powerful ethnic Tajik and former Defense Minister Mohammad Qasem Fahim as a running mate (Reuters). Qanuni gave up his seat as education minister in order to run for president. Transitional Administration Chairman Karzai sparked a minor political furor when he named a replacement for Qanuni despite a clause in the electoral law suggesting that officials who step down to campaign for the presidency may resume their former functions within 20 days of the balloting.     Qanuni described his main objective in running for president as "establishing a doctrine for a new Afghanistan" stressing the Islamic character of the country (Afghanistan Television). Qanuni said the second most important characteristic of a new Afghanistan is "stability and security," followed by "the independence of Afghanistan." He campaigned under a pledge that his presidency would have adopted a "policy of non-political and non-military affiliation" with other states. Qanuni was not clear on his short-term policy regarding the presence of international military forces in Afghanistan. Qanuni also focused on Afghanistan's dire economic situation, saying he would try to eliminate hunger and reduce poverty.     Critics accused Qanuni's presidential campaign of improperly invoking the memory of slain United Front commander Ahmad Shah Mas'ud by posting his image next to that of Qanuni. Fellow ethnic Tajiks Foreign Minister Abdullah and former Defense Minister Fahim backed Qanuni (Reuters). The Revolutionary Party of Afghanistan's People (Qiam-e Melli) has also put its support behind Qanuni ("Hewad"). SOURCES: JEMB; RFE/RL; Radio Free Afghanistan; Ludwig W. Adamec, "Historical Dictionary of Afghanistan"; Martin Ewans, "Afghanistan: A Short History of Its People and Politics"; and as noted.