Sixteen Hopefuls Disqualified From Afghan Presidential Race

Then-Commerce Minister Anwarul Haq Ahadi, seen during a press conference in Kabul in June, is the most prominent of the 16 disqualifications.

KABUL -- Afghanistan's election commission has disqualified 16 candidates from among the 26 contenders for next year's presidential election.

The Independent Election Commission on October 22 said the 16 were eliminated because of improper documents and other violations.

Most of the those disqualified are relatively unknown figures nationally.

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Former Commerce and Finance Minister Anwarul Haq Ahadi is the most widely recognized of the hopefuls whose applications were nixed.

The candidates still running include former Foreign Ministers Abdullah Abdullah and Zalmai Rasul; former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani; former senior presidential adviser Hidayat Amin Arsala; and former Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak.

Others in the race ahead of the April 5 election are President Hamid Karzai's brother, Qayum Karzai; Afghan Salafi leader Abdul Rab Rasul Sayyaf; former Governor Gul Afghan; Islamist leader Qutbuddin Hilal; and former royal family member Sardar Nadir Naeem.