The Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Wednesday, referring to the recent rumors about the establishment of an interim government as an outcome of a peace process with the Taliban, said that
Ghani Rejects Prospect of Interim Govt
The Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Wednesday, referring to the recent rumors about the establishment of an interim government as an outcome of a peace process with the Taliban, said that the Afghan people do not support the dissolution of democracy and that his main duty as president is to peacefully transfer the power to his successor according to the law.
Speaking a public gathering in Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan, Ghani said that the present political system needs to be protected and the power must be transferred peacefully and legally.
“This seat is not mine, this seat (presidency) belongs to the nation of Afghanistan, this system has dignity, you all voted for me,” said Ghani.
Peace Negotiators Leave for Doha on Monday
The negotiating team of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan will leave for Doha on Monday to begin the next round of the negotiations on Jan. 5.
The team is expected to share the details of its latest consultations with President Ashraf Ghani before its departure, and will also hold a meeting with the leadership committee of the High Council for National Reconciliation on Monday.
The first round of the talks continued for three months, with the Republic and Taliban negotiators agreeing on procedural rules for the talks and sharing verbally their demands for agenda points with each other.
Next Round of Talks to Focus on Future Govt: Mansoor
As the countdown begins for the next round of the peace negotiations, negotiator Abdul Hafiz Mansoor said the talks will focus on the modality of division of power in a future government.
Mansoor said that during three months of talks in Doha, he has found that the Taliban’s ideology has not changed.
“They said that the Taliban has changed. The Taliban is no longer the former Taliban, but my understanding and recognition prove that no change has occurred in the Taliban’s ideology,” said Mansoor.
He said that if peace comes with the departure of one person and the establishment of an interim government in the country, it would be a right move, but added that the achievements such as freedom of expression and human rights should be preserved.
(Last Updated On: January 2, 2021)
Abdul Hafiz Mansoor, a member of government’s negotiating team, said on Saturday the Taliban has no plan in place to govern, but their “power-hungry and narrow-minded spirit has not changed.”
Speaking at a roundtable discussion on the first round of peace talks and its future prospects Mansoor said the Taliban are eager to rule but have no operational plans to govern.
The discussion was organized by the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies (AISS).
Mansoor, and Hossain Ramouz, a university lecturer, were speakers at the session.
Mansoor said “we have to move towards an interim government while maintaining the current” system adding that preserving the current achievements and values of the past 20 years is a must.