The candidate registration period in Afghanistan’s presidential election will end before a May 8 deadline.

Nearly ten Afghan nationals, most of whom holding dual citizenship, have so far registered for this round of Afghanistan’s political duel.
The country’s constitution states with clarity that the president, the vice-presidents and the cabinet members must not have dual citizenship.
Therefore it is obvious that although Afghanistan’s constitution was drawn up by the Loya Jirgah and then approved and implemented by President Hamid Karzai, it has been intentionally violated both in the previous and current elections.
Perhaps one of the serious repercussions of this violation of the constitution is that it will undermine the legitimacy of the upcoming national election and this may in the next stage lead to many other challenges and chronic crises.
Incumbent President Hamid Karzai registered for Afghanistan's August presidential election on Monday.
According to Afghanistan’s election law, presidential candidates must select two of their vice-presidents the day they register as candidates.
Karzai, who is from the ethnic Pashtun tribe, named Mohammad Qasim Fahim and incumbent Vice-President Karim Khalili as his aides.
Mohammad Qasim Fahim is an ethnic Tajik, second largest ethnic population, and a former military commander whom the West accuses of committing war crimes during Afghanistan’s civil war.
Karim Khalili is from Hazara ethnic group, the third largest in Afghanistan.
Although through his choice Karzai has sought to maintain ethnic and tribal balance in the government, the UN representative to Afghanistan immediately reacted to Fahim’s selection.
Kai Eide expressed his deep concerns about Karzai’s decision and warned that with such decisions the Afghan president can lose support from the international community and the Afghan people.
The senior UN representative also said he will ask Taliban to take part in the upcoming election in which Karzai has good chances of victory.
He also recommended an engagement of Taliban in the political process to reduce violence in the war-weary country.
However, the Taliban has boycotted the upcoming presidential election and the country has seen escalated Taliban attacks throughout the country especially in southern, southeastern and western regions.
Therefore insecurity is the greatest electoral challenge ahead of Karzai.