President Ashraf Ghani said he appreciates Afghans’ patience, as well as their will for change, reform and improvement in government, as he addressed a gathering to honor “the creative and best civil service employees” in Kabul on Thursday.
He said Afghanistan has the capacity to choose its way forward. “War is not the solution. Peace is the only solution,” Ghani said, as he hinted at the ongoing efforts by the Afghan government and the international community to find a political settlement to the conflict in the country.
However, he said those armed against the government would not win by “shedding people’s blood” and that Afghanistan would not backtrack.
The national cricket team, the all-girls robotic team, the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, district governors and other civil service employees were honored by the president and the First Lady Rula Ghani at this event.
Ghani gave examples on how governance and Afghans’ roles in the system had changed over the past four years by saying he has laid a “foundation” for many sectors.
“The people of Afghanistan are the decision-makers. From the Constitution, changes are not acceptable in governance and neither it is possible. And we firmly reject this,” Ghani said.
He hinted at rumors of the establishment of an interim government in line with the peace talks and said the acceptable path for the people is the Constitution.
“The upcoming presidential elections will provide the opportunity for the people of Afghanistan to decide on which path they are going, but the point is that the main decision-makers are the people of Afghanistan,” he said.
He remarked on elections amid reports about a possible delay in the April 20 polls in Afghanistan.
Ghani said he hoped that the situation for Afghan women would improve, in a way from where he and the first lady have laid foundations.
He appreciated the “bravery” of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces in defending the country and ensuring security.
“Think again, if you think that the nation will backslide from this path, which is the result of the consensus of the Constitutional Loya Jirga (the Grand Assembly),” he said.
Meanwhile, Nader Nadery, chairman of Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission, said there has been considerable improvement in the way that government officials treat the people.
“The fundamental change in organizational culture in governance of the country is the main demand of the Afghan people, a culture which serves the people, a culture in which people can have access through transparent channels,” he said.
President Ghani said the Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission has made significant achievements over the past 18 months.
