Afghanistan Times
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KABUL: Abdul Rashid Dostum, a powerful tribal leader accused President Ashraf Ghani of losing trust inside and outside the country, alleging that the president’s electoral team pays people to attend their campaign rallies and gatherings.
Dostum supported Ghani in the past presidential election as his first deputy, but then stopped going to office and participating in the cabinet sessions before leaving for Turkey following allegations over having hands in a mistreat against a rival politician Ahmad Ishchi.
He now backs chief executive Abdullah Abdullah, who has a close ally of Dostum as his first running mate in the presidential race.
In a campaign gathering held for Abdullah in the Sheberghan city, provincial capital of Jawzajn (Dostum’s birthplace), Dostum said that Ghani’s team pays 500 Afs (some six dollars) to each person who attends his campaign events.
He called Ghani guilty for Tuesday’s suicide attack in Parwan province, where tens of people were killed and injured, saying they were attending Ghani’s campaign meeting. “Today, hospitals in Kabul are full of injured people and this is because of Dr. Ghani’s campaign call,” Dostum told his supporters.
Abdullah in a speech, accused Ghani of escaping a TV debate held with him in Kabul, saying Ghani can’t compete him in the race.
Abdullah said that nobody trusts in Ghani’s government, alleging that Ghani was trying to win elections through fraud.
Abdullah is part of the government he accuses of different flaws.
