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It is time to transfer power from the President and CEO to a new leader, says Abdul Rahman Rahmani
Abdul Zuhoor Qayomi-KABUL: Mawlawi Abdul Rahman Rahmani, a member of the Wolesi Jirga, said that the government should convene the traditional Loya Jirga to address the current security, economic and political crisis in the country.
The lawmaker, representing Balkh province in the Wolesi Jirga or Lower House of the parliament, told Afghanistan Times that prevailing situation was disheartening and frightening.
He said that holding traditional Loya Jirga is need of the hour and a good option for the National Unity Government (NUG) leaders as well to prevent the country from slipping deeper into the problems.
“Security and political situation is fragile. Everyday scores of people leave the country due to unemployment. Investors are also leaving the country due to insecurity. People are beheaded by Taliban and Daesh. These are the problems which emerged due to mismanagement of President Muhammad Ashraf Ghani and the Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah,” he said.
The legislator further said that the NUG leaders do not have a clear political strategy for defense of the country, adding that the government is knocking at every door to get military support despite signing the security deals with the United States and other countries.
Rahmani was telling about the government’s incapacity and lack of coherent foreign and internal policies. Explaining it, he said the government asked Russia, then China and later India for military support instead of asking the strategic partners with whom it signed the security agreements.
“Those shall be approached for support with whom the government signed strategic pacts to counter terrorism in Afghanistan. Military support from Moscow is impossible because the West will not accept Russia as its strategic partner; though, the Russian leadership proposed to support the counterterrorism mission in Afghanistan if it was made strategic partner. If Russia was made strategic partner then Moscow is ready to provide the requested military support to Kabul,” he pointed out. On the other hand the government is unable to manage the strategic support of the partners properly if the US does not ignore the BSA, he maintained.
Regarding promises of Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah that were made in the election campaigns, he said the two leaders failed to fulfill their commitments. They not only failed to translate their promises into actions but also made the situation worst as compared to the past because there is lack of coordination between the leaders.
“The government which is run by eight leaders of different political parties cannot bring security to the country. Insecurity increased by 80 percent and many districts fallen into the hands of Taliban. President Muhammad Ashraf Ghani plus his two vice-presidents and Ahmad Zia Masood as the president special representative for good governance, CEO Abdullah Abdullah along with his two deputies are the key figures, with conflicting ideas, leading the country towards an uncertain fate. The differences are affecting performance of the security forces, although they are ready to defend the country despite getting low salary,” the lawmaker said.
Rahmani suggested that the traditional Loya Jirga should be held to bring stability if the leaders have failed to carry out their duties.
When asked about the US policy on Afghanistan, the legislator replied that the United States’ policy was unclear and a matter of grave concern for Afghans. “The United States wants to leave Daesh as a threat to Central Asia and other Asian countries as she did in Syria and Iraq. Afghans will not allow anyone to use their soil against other countries,” he said.
He emphasized on election of a new leader saying that the proposed Loya Jirga should be held in order to transfer the power from the two leaders to the new one in a peaceful way.
Replying to a question, Rahmani said that the NUG leaders could not hold constitutional Loya Jirga because the current government is against the Constitution and was established through a political agreement between the two teams after mediation of the US Secretary of State.
He said the traditional Loya Jirga which represents the entire nation can take better decisions to overcome the existing challenges, adding that it could suggest good mechanism to the government or propose sacking of the president and CEO to the parliament. Coming with an example, the lawmaker said that approval of the BSA should be taken as a precedent.
Rahmani said that the government should ask the US for military support and if it gets negative response then it should revoke the BSA.
