KABUL -- A newly-established alliance of 13 opposition parties in Afghanistan said it will select a single candidate for the 2014 presidential election.
The group, which calls itself the Afghanistan Electoral Alliance, made the announcement in its first meeting on August 29.
The group is largely based on the former Northern Alliance coalition that overthrew the Taliban administration with U.S. help in 2001.
Key opposition figures in the alliance include 2009 runner-up Abdullah Abdullah, influential former warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum, and the former speaker of parliament, Yunus Qanuni.
Earlier this month, President Hamid Karzai expressed concerned that too many candidates would make the presidential race confusing for voters.
Karzai named Abdullah, former warlord Abdul Rasul Sayyaf, and former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani as possible candidates.
The group, which calls itself the Afghanistan Electoral Alliance, made the announcement in its first meeting on August 29.
The group is largely based on the former Northern Alliance coalition that overthrew the Taliban administration with U.S. help in 2001.
Key opposition figures in the alliance include 2009 runner-up Abdullah Abdullah, influential former warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum, and the former speaker of parliament, Yunus Qanuni.
Earlier this month, President Hamid Karzai expressed concerned that too many candidates would make the presidential race confusing for voters.
Karzai named Abdullah, former warlord Abdul Rasul Sayyaf, and former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani as possible candidates.
