The dismissal of the second deputy chief executive Mohammad Mohaqiq was slammed by President Ashraf Ghani’s oppositions as they labelled the move in contravention of the National Unity Government’s agreement.
Political figures, who have joined former National Security Advisor Mohammad Haneef Atmar’s team, appeared at a press conference on Friday where they said the decision should be cancelled while Atmar’s office said in a statement that Ghani’s authorities should be limited “because he is a candidate”.
Atmar’s ticket, Peace and Moderation, said in the statement that “politically oriented appointments by President should also be stopped until the elections results are announced”.
“The order on dismissal of Mohammad Mohaqiq should be canceled. Authorities of president, due to his candidacy, should be limited until the presidential elections results is announced. Political appointments and dismissal and changes in government’s posts should be stopped and government facilities should not be used in elections campaigns,” read the statement.
Hizb-e-Wahdat-e-Islami party led by Mohammad Mohaqiq, meanwhile, accused President Ghani of violation of the political agreement of the National Unity Government (NUG) signed after the controversial 2014 presidential elections.
Mohaqiq’s aides said when Ghani is making such moves, then they will think about establishment of an interim government, adding that their main demand is that the NUG should continue until the new government takes charge.
“When President (Ghani) is damaging the (elections), then we should think about establishment of an interim government which has lots of supporters in Afghanistan’s political society. But our main point is that we will continue NUG until the new elected government takes the charge,” said Mohammad Natiqi, a close aide to Mohaqiq.
Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah’s deputy spokesman Omid Maisam said Mohaqiq will continue his job as second deputy.
Maisam said Ghani does not have the authority to dismiss people from chief executive’s office, “because he is one side of government and the chief executive is the other side.
“One side of government does not have the authority to dismiss (officials) from the other side. Mohaqiq will continue his job as second deputy until the new government is formed,” said Maisam.
According to lawyers, the move is a violation of the NUG political agreement.
“They National Unity Government has been established based on a political agreement. Thus, the decision (dismissal of Mohaqiq) is a legal ambiguity and from a legal point of view we do not have any solution for this,” said Subhan Misbah, a lawyer.
“I hope the same move is being taken against Abdullah (Abdullah) and his first deputy (Mohammad Khan),” said Mohammad Musa Fariwar, a political affairs analyst.
The Presidential Palace did not comment on reasons behind President Ghani’s decision.
