Presidential candidates begin consultations on interim govt

Monitoring Desk

KABUL: As the National Unity Government’s (NUG) term will end within the next one month, a group of 11 presidential candidates has started consultations on the establishment of an interim government to prevent “power gap” as elections are scheduled for September 28.

The candidates said the incumbent government’s term ends on May 22 and that it will lose its “legitimacy”, so they have started negotiations to establish an interim government.

The electoral teams which have started consultations on establishing an interim government belong to the following candidates:

Mohammad Haneef Atmar, Faramarz Tamanna, Ahmad Wali Massoud, Rahmatullah Nabil, Enayatullah Hafiz, Ghulam Farooq Nijrabi, Mohammad Ibrahim Alokozay, Mohammad Hakim Torsan, Mohammad Shahab Hakimi, Noor Rahman Lewal, Noorulhaq Ulumi.

“After this date (May 22), the National Unity Government is not legitimate for us and for politicians and 11 presidential candidates,” said Qadir Shah, a spokesman for Atmar’s team.

“First, it will be is better if President (Ashraf Ghani) resign from candidacy and lead elections so justice should be secured in terms of elections. The Chief Executive (Abdullah Abdullah) should lead the peace process. The second option is that a council should be established to provide the condition for power transition. And the third option is that based on Article 68 of the Constitution, the parliament speaker, which will be introduced later, should take charge of the country and pave the way for power transition,” Arif Kayani, a spokesman from Nabil’s team, explained.

Another presidential candidate, Shaida Mohammad Abdali, meanwhile, said he agrees with the NUG to continue after May 22, but emphasized that a commission should be appointed to oversee government’s activities.

“It will be better if a commission from the political leaders and presidential candidates is formed and the commission should oversee the National Unity Government to make sure the government equipment is not misused and they (NUG leaders) do not misuse from their authorities,” said Abdali.

Sayed Noorullah Jalili, another presidential candidate, urged the 11 election teams to be patient and not make “sentimental” decisions.

“It will be better if sentimental decisions are not be made in such issues to prevent concerns among the people,” said Jalili.

Afghanistan’s Lawyers Union said that considering the current situation, the political parties or the politicians do not have the authority to decide about the fate of the government after its legal term.

The lawyers said the Constitution has not said anything about a situation that Afghanistan is facing right now insisting that the union is working on an outline to prevent crisis after the legal term of the National Unity Government.

“The politicians do not have the authority to make a decision in this regard,” said Abdul Subhan Misbah, deputy head of the union.

The Presidential and Sapedar Palaces, who lead two elections teams, refused to comment in this regard.

The remaining three other elections teams have not announced their stances regarding the NUG’s legal term and what should happen after it. (TOLOnews)