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KABUL: The National Unity Government (NUG) has no legitimacy after May 22, and in the surface of already delay in holding presidential election on its due time, interim-government, or caretaker is the priority, said a presidential candidate on Monday while briefing a gathering in Balkh province.
Haneef Atmar, Former National Security Advisor and current Presidential candidate said this in a ceremony commemorating death anniversary of Marshal Mohammad Qasim Fahim, former Vice President in Mazar-i-Sharif.
Gradually the Afghan masses have come to a consensus that continuation of incumbent government after May 22, is considered illegitimate, where nothing far from constitution is acceptable, he said.
Talking over peace efforts, he said looking for sincere efforts toward peace, and no one should spoil the process. “We are not in favor of power vacuum, but surely asking for honest efforts for peace and elections.”
“Therefore, establishing an interim government based on the Constitution will be our top priority so that we assure our nation that peace and elections are coming.”
Taking note on current increase in casualties of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, he said government has failed to ensure people’s safety.
According to him, almost 50,000 military and civilians have been martyred in the past five years, in which 10,000 people lost their lives each year.
He furthered that 98,000 more people received injures during the same period which include military and civilians.
This comes as of Sunday, at least 65 Afghan forces dead in an attack carried out by the Taliban insurgents in southern Helmand province.
The National Unity Government was established based on agreement between President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah in 2014 after there were huge rigging in elections that forced US to mediate as a result national unity formed. The agreement brokered by former US Secretary of State John Kerry.
