KABUL (SW) – President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has reiterated that the transfer of power through elections is a non-negotiable principle.
The President made these remarks on Saturday at the opening ceremony of the third year of the 17th term of the parliament. Ghani said he is ready to make sacrifices to ensure a lasting and real peace in which the independence and the right of the people to self-determination are respected, but clarified it does not mean compromising the constitution.
President Ghani also called on the Taliban to stop merely chanting slogans, and instead reduce violence and attend peace talks.
“The transfer of power through elections is a non-negotiable principle for us,” said Mohammad Ashraf Ghani. “We are ready to discuss holding free, fair and transparent elections under the observation and monitoring of a the international community. We can also talk about the date of the elections and reach a conclusion”, he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Mir Rahman Rahmani, speaker of the Wolesi Jirga (lower house), underlined the opportunity for peace and said that Afghanistan has been put to test under the name of peace. Addressing the Taliban leaders, Rahmani said that now is the time to end the violence and return to the negotiating table without pretext.
“The parliament expects the Taliban to show flexibility in the intra-Afghan peace talks and to refrain from plans and agendas that are not practical, at least in the current situation, in order to work for peace, stability and reconstruction in Afghanistan.”
On the other hand, a number of members of the Afghan government’s peace negotiating team have said that they met with Zalmai Khalilzad, US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, to discuss speeding up the peace process, the role of the international community and strengthening regional consensus, reducing violence as well as ending the war.
Fawzia Kofi, a member of the government’s peace negotiating team, took to Twitter to describe the members’ meeting with Zalmai Khalilzad as fruitful, emphasizing the important role that women and the new generation can play in the peace process.
During a visit to Kabul, Khalilzad shared the idea of ‘inclusive government’ with government leaders and political parties, as well as a number of politicians.
ENDS
