Election ‘key’ for any proposed govt solution

KABUL (Tolo News): Second Vice President Mohammad Sarwar Danesh reiterated that holding an election is one of the key elements of the country’s political system, and that any type of political system will be dependent on people’s votes. Danesh said that the Afghan government is ready to hold an early election to achieve peace, but reiterated that the process requires international monitoring.

Early elections are part of the plan proposed by President Ghani to achieve peace in the country. “Election is a key element for our political system, therefore, the government leadership–Mr. President in particular–has insisted on an election and he has mentioned he is ready to hold an election under the international community’s observation in the case that a (peace) agreement is finalized and must be approved by the people of Afghanistan,” Danesh said.

A day earlier, National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib said that President Ghani will not run for office in an early election. The Taliban meanwhile has not commented on whether or not they will accept an election for the transfer of power, but their spokesman in Doha said that the election has a negative reputation among the people and that the people have no trust in such “terms.” Mohammad Naeem, the Taliban spokesman in Doha, said talks are underway among religious scholars of the group on the method to establish a system.

“The people’s trust has been removed on this issue (election) and it has changed into a thing that no one can trust in, particularly in the last 15 years,” Naeem said. He said that election is not the only way to elect a government and that scholars are working on ways by which a government can be established. “The current problems include political and security challenges plus belief challenges, as the Taliban believes in Ahl al-hall wal-aqd (a term used in political aspects of Islam), not in a countrywide election,” said Mohammad Jalal, an analyst.