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Lisa Mullins: Now to a country with plenty of US troops on the ground, Afghanistan.  This week, Afghan President Karzai announced that he will abide by his country’s constitution and not seek a third term in 2014.  The political transition in Afghanistan coincides with NATO plans to hand over security duties to the Afghan government.  Jockeying for position ahead of that key date is just starting in Afghanistan. One politician who wants to play a role is Sarwar Ahmedzai.  Ahmedzai was a candidate for president in Afghanistan’s disputed 2009 election, while recently he’s been living in San Francisco.  He told us today that he’s heading back to Afghanistan in the next few weeks to help launch a new political party there.  He would not say however, whether he wants his name on that group’s ticket in 2014.

Sarwar Ahmedzai: I think there are other capable personalities also in the group, but we will see.  I think in the coming three years we will find out who will probably be the most acceptable to the Afghan people and they will chose that person.

Mullins: So what does your party stand for?  And we don’t know if you’re gonna run for president or not as you said, it has not been decided, but what would be the thrust of any campaign?

Ahmedzai: Well, Lisa, as you know, Afghan of course, security is the number one concern in that area.  And of course, a strong central, capable, honest government is the first condition for bringing security and peace to the country.  And also, rule of law, there are still so many warlords, the drug mafia and also corruption, Afghanistan is second in the world on the list of the top most corrupt countries after Somalia. And also economic development, if you see 85% of the people fighting the Taliban, there was a survey, they are only fighting for $200-300/month because there are no jobs.  So the economic development, corruption, rule of law, security and of course, women’s rights and human rights are the platform he will be running on.

Mullins: That’s a hefty platform.  I would imagine that’s a number of pages in your campaign manifesto, the idea that you want to take on the drug mafia, institute a rule of law, take on corruption, get rid of cronyism and find jobs for people, all seem like laudatory goals.  How would you possibly do that?  I mean if you look at just a couple of those things, corruption as rampant as it is is serving a lot of people well, including in the government; the drug mafia, well, we still have a situation don’t we in Afghanistan where there are a lot of people who can only make their living if they’re growing crops that are eventually used for opium?  How could you make a dent in either of those things?

Ahmedzai: There is no doubt it may not be easy in a short period of time, but I think Afghanistan is lucky and was lucky to have the support of the strongest nation in the world.  Billions of dollars were poured in in Afghanistan.  There are so many institutions being built or are still there by the World Bank and IMF to help the Arab-run government to tackle the corruptions in Afghanistan, and I think pretty soon you will see all those people who have committed crimes, who have violated human rights, probably they will be brought to justice as they did in the Middle East and other parts of the world.

Mullins: What do you see as the role of America in the future of Afghanistan?

Ahmedzai: Well, Lisa, there’s no doubt the US is also suffering in its home from economic hardships.  Afghanistan, two thirds of their budget comes from the international donors and countries like the US.

Mullins: Which means you basically can’t do without it.

Ahmedzai: Well, I don’t think it would be possible in a short period of time as we stand on our own feet; it will take time.  And I think they also say we have billions and trillions of dollars for natural resources, but I think that’s far from now, probably 20-30 years.  But I think the US role I see in Afghanistan in long term, I don’t think the US troops will leave after 2014, I think there will still be 20,000-25,000 troops because strategically Afghanistan is so important to the US majority of the nuclear armed countries are in that region — Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran is building it also, and also India.  So I think strategically it’s very important for the US.  I don’t think I will see the US as leaving, and I don’t think so for years, I will suggest the US to leave completely from Afghanistan by 2014.

Mullins: That’s former Afghan presidential candidate, Sarwar Ahmedzai.  He was talking about the future of Afghanistan and the role of a new Afghan political party that he’s planning to launch early next month.

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