Afghan Parliament forms body to monitor peace efforts

KABUL (Agencies): The Afghan parliament formed a 21-member committee on peace to have a more direct involvement in the ongoing efforts to bring stability to Afghanistan.

The Wolesi Jirga Speaker Mir Rahman Rahmani, who heads the committee, said that both sides in the peace process are trying to achieve power and that the committee will encourage the parties to achieve real peace.

“Going forward, the Wolesi Jirga should be directly involved in the peace process,” Rahmani said.

“The Wolesi Jirga should find out which side is delaying the talks, and evaluate the claims both sides are making of the other… The parliament delegation should be made aware of the reality and make a comprehensive plan based on it.”

Rahmani said he has found access to the draft of an interim setup and he welcomes it but added that the plan needs to be comprehensive.

“The plan, which is said to have been prepared by the United States and the Taliban for establishing an interim government or a proposed peace, has reached us,” the parliament speaker said.

“We welcome it because it has mentioned staying with the current system and the national assembly, but it has many problems that need discussion.”

The members of the committee started their work behind closed doors after Rahmani’s opening ceremony, and at the end they decided that the committee should hold talks with Afghan political leaders and then travel to Doha for meetings with the two negotiating teams.

“The agenda is for one week and includes meetings with different institutions and the High Council for National Reconciliation at the top of the list so that the committee is informed from all issues around peace,” said Abdul Rauf Inami, an members of parliament and the spokesman of the committee.

The committee members said they will begin their consultations with politicians and civil society members on Monday.