Responding to reports on the US pushing for Afghanistan to postpone presidential elections next year, the US department of state spokesperson Heather Nauert said that Washington is committed to the election process and any decision to move out the date would be at Kabul’s discretion.
Addressing a press conference early Wednesday morning (Kabul time), Nauert said: “One of the things that is important to us is we’re committed to the overall electoral process. If there were to be any changes made to the scheduling, that would entirely be a decision on the part of Afghanistan, one in which we would not interfere.”
In reference to the US Special Envoy for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad’s visit to the region, Nauert stated that Khalilzad’s trip, the second since last month, shows the US’ “commitment to a lasting peace agreement.”
She said Washington was hoping to “facilitate the Afghans and the Taliban coming to some sort of lasting peace agreement. Our officials have long said, including the DOD, that we don’t see a military solution to this outcome – to this in Afghanistan.
“Ambassador Khalilzad has been hard at work. I think he’s spent more time on an airplane or traveling overseas than he has back in Washington in the past month and a half or so since he’s taken on these duties.
“I can tell you that our support for an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace process is our policy. In terms of elections and if they were to make any changes, that would entirely be up to the government of Afghanistan and not the United States government,” she said.
On the issue of last week’s meeting in Moscow on peace in Afghanistan, Nauert said: “With regard to the Moscow meetings, we see Russia, the Russian Government doing this, where they will hold meetings related to hot topics around the world. That is certainly their right to do so. The United States government sent a representative simply at the working level, not to participate but just to observe in those discussions.”
Nauert’s comments not only come on the heels of the Moscow summit and during Khalilzad’s latest trip to Afghanistan, Pakistan the UAE and Qatar – but the comments also come amid rumblings of a possible political shakeup in Afghanistan.
The Wall Street Journal on Monday morning reported that the US was pushing for the Afghan government to postpone next year’s elections. This appears to be hinged on Khalilzad’s apparent six month deadline to broker peace with the Taliban.
However, the Afghan government immediately rejected the allegations and President Ashraf Ghani’s spokesman was quick to say that government was committed to holding presidential elections as per the Afghan constitution and the date determined by the Independent Election Commission (IEC).
Ghani’s spokesman, Haroon Chakhansuri, tweeted that “Continuity in a democratic process is a must and any other proposal than the will of Afghans which is outlined in our constitution is simply not acceptable.”
Fazel Fazly, a presidential adviser, also immediately took to twitter and said the Afghan government’s commitments to holding the 2019 presidential vote was unwavering, as dictated by the country’s constitution. “We will stick to the election date announced by the IEC and follow the timeline once determined.”
However, not all politicians necessarily want elections to be held. Some have said a postponement, in favor of peace, would be a welcome move.
The coalition of political parties said polls should be held off and an interim government should be established – especially as the current National Unity Government’s tenure ends in just a few months – and that a Loya Jirga should then be convened.
The Wall Street Journal on Monday stated that in order to make progress in the peace process, US is assessing an option like the Bonn conference, but one which the Taliban attends.
