KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s elder brother Qayum Karzai has decided not to take part in the country’s election race, and he endorsed former foreign minister Zalmai Rassoul to lead the country.
“I and my team, we consider ourselves as a key part of this new alliance and declare my support for Doctor Zalmai Rassoul,” Qayum Karzai told a press conference in Kabul.
“From now on, both teams will fight for victory… and I´m sure with the blessing of God, and the support of the people, we will win,” Rassoul, a softly-spoken loyalist of Hamid Karzai, said.
President Hamid Karzai, who has ruled the country since the Taliban’s overthrow in 2001 and is barred from seeking a third term, has pledged not to publicly endorse any candidate in the April 5 elections.
