As debates and discussions over the possibility of an interim government persist, the Afghan government has also accelerated efforts to gain political support from mainstream politicians in the country.
In recent weeks, President Ashraf Ghani held a series of meetings and consultations with some of Afghanistan’s influential political leaders including Abdul Rab Rasoul Sayyaf, a former Jihadi commander, former President Hamid Karzai, former vice president Mohammad Karim Khalili and Ghani also designated his longtime critic Mohammad Mohaqiq as his adviser for political and security affairs.
Rahmatullah Nabil, the former head of Afghanistan’s intelligence agency—the National Directorate of Security (NDS)–who is also a critic of Ghani, has said that the president is politically isolated and is trying to gain the support of Afghanistan’s major political parties and political movements.
Ghani last week also went to the residence of Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the High Council of National Reconciliation.
“Nothing has been built behind the scenes to implement or impose it in a way on the people of Afghanistan,” said Abdullah.
“Over the past six years, the Arg (Presidential Palace) and Dr. Ashraf Ghani did not seek the views of the political leaders, then the situation reached a stage where discussions about an interim govt started…the government is now trying to show the new government in the US that they have the support of the Afghan people,” said Nabil.
“An Interim government means transformation towards the dissolution of the Constitution or a possible collapse (collapse of the political system) and chaos,” said Mohammad Mohaqiqi, senior adviser on political and security affairs of the president.
Salahuddin Rabbani, the head of the Jamiat-e-Islami party of Afghanistan and a main critic of Ghani, has not been met by the president so far. It is not clear whether the Palace has reached out to him or not.
“A guarantee for a stable government and the post-negotiations govt can be discussed,” said Waqif Hakimi, a member of Jamiat-e-Islami.
The Presidential Palace has not commented so far.
