The former senior presidential adviser for reforms and good governance and member of the Grand National Coalition Ahmad Zia Massoud warned on Tuesday that the persistent tensions over the elections could drag the country towards a major crisis as government termed the closure of election offices by the coalition an act of treason.
Speaking at a press conference in Kabul, Massoud said the confrontation between the political parties and the government over elections could plunge the country into a chaos.
He said the political parties are not willing to engage in a fight with the government and only demand transparent elections and reforms in the electoral commissions.
He said the government has not responded positively to the demands of the political parties and warned that all election offices would be closed if their demands were not met.
Massoud also added that the security situation of the country could further deteriorate if the elections are organized without considering their demands for changes in election system.
He also demanded the immediate release of the protesters who have been arrested during the protests in western Herat province.
This comes as another member of the coalition, Ata Mohammad Noor, issued a statement on Monday claiming that a number of the sit-in protesters belonging to the Grand National Coalition have been illegally arrested by the security forces in Herat province.
In an apparent gesture towards public uprisings, Noor said the government would face an ‘unprecedented wave’ of resistance from the people if their colleagues are not immediately released.
The Grand National Coalition, consisting of political parties, has closed the offices of the Independent Election Commission (IEC) in three provinces, including western Herat province.
The supporters of the coalition have said the step was taken after the government and the election commission failed to positively respond to their demands.
They have also warned that the election offices in other provinces will also be closed if the government and election commission did not respond positively to their demands.
The government, however, calls disturbance in the way of election a treasonous act. Talking at a gathering in Kabul on Tuesday, Sarwar Danish, Second Vice President, described the closure of IEC offices as a “futile recourse” against democracy.
“Today, neither delaying the elections nor calls for interim government and Loya Jirga is reasonable,” Danish said.
He said that the opposition should not take the fate of the Afghan people hostage.
According to Danish, closing election offices is against national interests and against the constitution.
“Any act to disrupt the elections is considered treason against the nation,” Danish concluded.