Campaigning is officially underway in Afghanistan’s presidential election.<br /><br />Eleven candidates are vying to succeed Hamid Karzai and there is no clear front-runner. <br /><br />The election’s being seen as a crucial test of whether this troubled country can achieve a stable political transition.<br /><br />Several political heavyweights, including opposition leader Abdullah Abdullah, have held rallies to mark the campaign launch. <br /><br />Abdullah was runner-up to Karzai in the disputed 2009 elections. <br /><br />The incumbent has not endorsed any of the candidates as a favoured successor.<br /><br />The vote, which faces a number of hurdles including security, will be held as NATO combat forces prepare to pull out of Afghanistan.<br /><br />The Taliban have said they will disrupt the poll. <br /><br />On the eve of the campaign launch, two political workers were killed in western Afghanistan. <br /><br />Voters go to the polls on 5 April.
