KABUL (SW) – The Trump administration is discussing whether to press the Afghan government to suspend coming presidential elections as the U.S. seeks to engage the Taliban in talks to end the 17-year war, the Wall Street Journal reported.
This idea was raised by U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad in talks with various stakeholders and intermediaries, the WSJ reported. The idea would be opposed by a key player: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who is expected to seek a second five-year term in the election, it added.
The WSJ noted another approach would include creation of a special assembly of Afghanistan leaders that would choose a new interim government to run the country while the warring parties work on a plan to end the war. Afghan power brokers, including former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, have been pressing for such an assembly, known as a Loya Jirga, it added.
Mr. Khalilzad is expected to meet next week with Taliban leaders in Doha, Qatar, according to people briefed on his travel plans. He may also speak with Taliban members in Dubai, according to an official briefed on the discussions.
In the meantime, the Kabul government has discarded this report.
The presidential palace issued a statement Tuesday reiterating its insistence that presidential elections will take place as scheduled.
Shah Hossain Mortazavi, a spokesman for the presidency, wrote on his Facebook page that the Afghan government is fully committed to holding the presidential election based on the Constitution and the schedule.
But, the High Peace Council of has a different view on this issue.
Haji Azizullah Din Mohammad, the deputy head of the High Peace Council, said in response to a question in this regard, the matter should be decided by the people. He said that if this contributes to peace efforts, it should be pursued.
With the appointment of Zalmay Khalilzad, efforts for direct dialogue with the Taliban have intensified.
Reports indicate that the Afghan government is not onboard these talks.
Zalmay Khalilzad, in his second trip to Afghanistan, met with a number of political leaders, including the President Ghani, Chief Executive Officer, Abdullah Abdullah, Vice President, Abdul Rasheed Dostum, Foreign Minister, Salahuddin Rabbani, Atta Mohammad Noor, chief executive of the Jamiat-e-Islami party and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, head of the Hizb-e-Islami party.
On the other hand, the Russian government is also trying to find a peaceful solution to the Afghan conflict. Taliban have the right to ask for something, Deputy Special Representative of Russia in the affairs of Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, recently said. According to him, the West has failed in Afghanistan, and Russia cannot be indifferent to what is happening in Afghanistan.
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