Discussions about the formation of an interim government as part of the political settlement of Afghan conflict have heated up amid several rounds of peace talks between Taliban representatives and American diplomats. The Khalilzad-led American delegation engaged in peace negotiations with the Taliban has also reportedly taken up the matter with Taliban, but both sides deny it due to the sensitivity of the issue. Meanwhile, Afghan government has repeatedly voiced strong opposition to the proposal of creating a transitional administration. President Ghani has recently insisted that the plan of forming an interim government had been designed abroad, and could not be applied and sold in Afghanistan, warning that Islamabad, Tehran and Moscow have no right to select a president for Afghanistan. According to him, “Those who support the idea of an interim or transitional government are afraid of people”.
Although President Ghani apparently sees Pakistan, Iran and Russia’s hand in the interim government proposal, the realities of Afghan politics and recent developments in the peace process suggest that they are not the masterminds of the plan. To avoid clash with the United States, President Ghani is always trying to portray that the regional powers are behind the proposition. Even at the end of his term, the president does not have the nerve to publicly state that Americans want to form an interim or transitional government as part of a possible peace deal with the Taliban.
The formation of an interim or transitional administration is doubtlessly a setback for Afghanistan. However, if the Taliban flatly repudiate to become part of the current political system without the creation of such a government and that its culmination is continuation of war and bloodshed, the government leadership, first and foremost the president, must not underestimate the danger, primarily now, as President Donald Trump seems serious and committed to withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan before the US presidential elections in 2020.
The president should come forward and clearly declare who is behind the plan. Moreover, the government leaders should inform the nation of the fallouts of the proposal, and offer an alternative roadmap that not only steers clear of the idea of creating an interim government but also encourages the Taliban to join the peace process. Afghan problem cannot be solved by pinning blame on others. No doubt foreigners are part of the Afghan conflict, Ashraf Ghani as the president of Afghanistan should not deem his responsibility fulfilled by just throwing the blame at others; he has to take practical steps that can restore peace and stop foreign interference in the country.
