Govt yet to announce negotiating team

Monitoring Desk

KABUL: President Ghani during his inauguration speech on Monday vowed to finalize the negotiating team on Tuesday but the details of the team and the announcement are not yet completed.

Sources within the Presidential Palace said the negotiating team will have 15 to 20 members.

“The delegation is limited and effective,” said Latif Mahmoud, a presidential spokesman.

Abdullah Abdullah’s aides meanwhile said the negotiating team prepared by the Presidential Palace ahead of the inauguration will not be acceptable for them.

“It’s not clear which team from the announced governments will be acceptable for the Taliban, to the US or whether the list is shared or separate,” said Fazl Ahmad Manawi, an aide to Abdullah.

“As far as I know, no sides have been consulted (on the negotiating team),” Hizb-e-Islami leader GulbuddinHekmatyar said in an interview with TOLOnews on Monday.

A former Taliban member, JalaluddinShinwari, said the team should be inclusive.

“The problem will not be solved unless the delegation is inclusive,” he said.

The peace process has been has been met with concerns by rights activists. A group of women activists on Tuesday walked on Kabul streets, wearing burqas and holding banners with slogans of “where is my voice.”

The activists said the Taliban should respect women’s rights if they join the government after a peace deal.

“We are not satisfied; we do not want to be forgotten. Our voice should be heard,” said an activist.(TOLOnews)