Ahead of Afghan elections, warlords and bureaucrats prepare campaigns --- In KABUL — By Sunday evening, the list of candidates registered for next year’s presidential elections included some of Afghanistan’s most powerful officials and most notorious warlords. --- In a country still wrestling with democracy 12 years after the Taliban was overthrown, the high-profile candidates represent the pluralism of modern Afghan politics as well as the power still wielded by informal strongmen who once tore Afghanistan apart. - washingtonpost