[ Afghan Elections 2004-2005 ]

Sayyed Ishaq Gailani, presidential candidate for the National Solidarity Movement of Afghanistan, terminated his candidacy on 6 October in favor of Afghan Transitional Administration Chairman Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan Television reported. "In order to strengthen peace and national unity and to preserve the interests of Afghanistan, we held talks and reached agreement with Hamid Karzai...about our joint cooperation in serving the noble people of Afghanistan," Gailani told a news conference in Kabul. Gailani asked supporters of his party to join the "national movement" during the 9 October presidential election. The details of the agreement reached between Gailani and Karzai were not disclosed. Gailani, a member of one of Afghanistan's most influential religious families, has considerable backing in eastern and southeastern Afghanistan -- Pashtun areas where Karzai is not seen as being widely popular (for a list of Afghan political parties, see RFE/RL's special website on the elections at http://www.azadiradio.org/en/specials/elections/). (Amin Tarzi)