Ashraf Ghani opposes hasty peace in Afghanistan
Apr 11, 2021
Kabul [Afghanistan], April 11 : Amid the rise in terrorist attacks by the Taliban, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday said he has a clear plan for peace in the country but pointed out that the process should not be hasty.
According to TOLO News, Ghani said that there is a need for the establishment of a peace government.
Ghani said that he will transfer power through elections after holding a Loya Jirga--a grand council--and taking the people's advice. However, he reiterated that he will not run in any future election.
"Our proposal for the transition from an imposed war to a just and permanent peace is very clear," Ghani said, referring to his proposed plan for peace. "I will not go into details ... any proposals that come from outside, we have the capacity to proposed more inclusive and principled plans."
The president reiterated that there is a need for patience in the peace efforts.
"Peace is a forum between us, the Taliban and the international community. Therefore, we should achieve results through continued and effective discussions on basic principles. No one should hurry. We need to have a plan to exchange for every proposal offered by our partners," TOLO News quoted Ghani as saying.
He referred to his previous remarks by saying that the Constitution is the basis for legitimacy in Afghanistan.
"The key point is: There should be legitimacy in all processes of transitioning from war to peace. The basis for legitimacy is the current Constitution, and the current Constitution has clear ways for its amendment," Ghani said.
Pointing to elections, Ghani said, "The tool for legitimacy is an election. Our promise and commitment to you are that national power will be transferred to our elected successor based on your will."
Ghani called on the Taliban to join a Loya Jirga--a grand assembly--and share their feelings and demands with the people of Afghanistan.
First Vice President Amrullah Saleh said at the event that they will make sure to move the peace efforts forward with precision, TOLO News reported.
Saleh said a US team led by Zalmay Khalilzad has shared the details of the agenda of the upcoming Turkey conference on Afghanistan with the Afghan government. He said the conference might be held at the end of this week.
This comes as the Afghan government is preparing to attend the upcoming conference on Afghanistan in Turkey.
