Still no reconciliation council, impasse remains

KABUL (TOLO News): There has been no progress on the formation of the High Council of Peace and Reconciliation as Abdullah Abdullah, President Ghani’s political opponent, has not presented his proposed plan to the Presidential Palace.

Abdullah last month rejected a proposed plan by President Ghani in which Ghani proposed that Abdullah lead the High Council of Peace and Reconciliation, a government institution tasked with leading peace efforts and establishing the framework for negotiations with the Taliban.

Abdullah’s aides last week said a proposed plan had been prepared by their team and it would be shared with Ghani in the near future.

“In (Abdullah’s) plan, the authorities, responsibilities and opportunities of the future government have been considered for the two leading teams,” said Omid Maisam, a spokesman for Abdullah.

Analysts familiar with the political talks between the two teams said any delay in the process will add another layer of complexity to the peace process and to the fragile political and security situation in the country.

“The plan for an agreement between the Presidential Palace and Sapidar Palace should be drafted in a way that it brings national unity and ensures peace in Afghanistan. Otherwise, no plan will have any benefit,” said Shahzada Massoud, a political affairs analyst and a close aide to former president Hamid Karzai.

“This is a ‘shame’ for them as they are engaged in their internal dispute,” said Abdul Zahir Tamim, an MP.

This comes as NATO and its allies, including the US, have reiterated their call to Afghan political leaders to end their dispute and agree on an inclusive government in order to move the peace process forward, which they call a “historical opportunity” for Afghanistan.

An activist in Kabul, Aziz Rafee, who heads a civil society organization, said the tensions have affected Afghanistan’s credibility among its international partners.

So far, according to officials and a source, six proposed plans have been exchanged between the two sides.