Taliban seek collapse of system by opposing constitution: Danish

KABUL (Tolo News): Afghanistan’s Second Vice President Mohammad Sarwar Danish said that the Taliban’s opposition to the current Constitution of Afghanistan is meant to cause the collapse of the system.

Addressing a ceremony on the 17th anniversary of the ratification of Afghanistan’s Constitution, Danish states that the Taliban’s confrontation with the Afghan Constitution is intended to bring the system’s downfall. In reference to the rumors about the establishment of an interim government as part of the peace process, Danish said that such move was aimed to cause the collapse of the political system of Afghanistan.

He said that an interim government does not mean the transfer of power from one man to another, but it is aimed at causing the collapse of the three pillars of the system. Danish said that the current Constitution of Afghanistan has been ratified in full compliance with Islamic traditions and the values of the Afghan people. “The Constitution has the capacity to address any plan for peace or a political transformation. The Taliban and their supporters, by opposing the Constitution, in fact intend the system to collapse,” said Danish.

Danish said that there could be some shortcomings in the Constitution which can be amended. “The Taliban and other countries who try to impose something is impossible,” said Fazel Ahmad Manavi, the Afghan Minister of Justice. “The plan for the establishment of an interim government that some people talk about does not mean the reshuffling of one person or individuals, it is intended that the entire system and the three branches and their legal principles are moved aside and the process of state-building is started from the beginning,” said Danish.

“The Independent Commission for overseeing the implementation of the Constitution calls on the three branches of the system to abide by the rule of law in their undertakings, the Constitution wants democracy, the people also want democracy based on justice,” said Abdullah Shafayee, the Independent Commission for overseeing the implementation of the Constitution. “The government is blamed for the majority of the violations of the Constitution, all presidents in Afghanistan during their tenure tried to violate the Constitution,” said Mohammad Alam Ezedyar, deputy chief of senate.

The present Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was agreed upon by more than 500 delegates representing Afghan men and women from across the country at the Constitutional Loya Jirga. The Constitution was formally ratified by President Hamid Karzai at a ceremony in Kabul on January 26, 2004.