Oppositions against Arg Escalated; Candidates Warned, Movements Mobilized
Following protests about the extension of NUG terms after May 22, political movements and presidential candidates mobilized to prevent it. Junbish-e Guzar headed by Haroon Mutarif held a gathering Monday evening in Kabul, calling on president Ghani to step down after 22 May.
Following protests about the extension of NUG terms after May 22, political movements and presidential candidates mobilized to prevent it. Junbish-e Guzar headed by Haroon Mutarif held a gathering Monday evening in Kabul, calling on president Ghani to step down after 22 May.
M. Yunus Qanuni, Mohammad Mohaqeq, the first and second deputies respectively to Peace and Moderation electoral ticket, Ahmad Wali Massoud and Noor ul-Haq Ulumi, presidential candidates and dozens political figures attended the gathering.
“Wednesday (Jawza the first) will be the end of NUG term and president Ghani must step down, so that a “caretaker administration” be set to continue with the country’s affairs until holding the elections,” said Haroon Mutarif, head of Junbish-e Gozar political movement. Adding that “the supreme court’s decision about extending the government’s term, is the clear violation of the constitution, a white coup against the law which was issued by the order of Mr Ghani,” stressing that “this verdict is not acceptable to the people of Afghanistan.”
Yunus Qanuni, the first deputy to the peace and moderation electoral ticket led by Hanif Atmar, said that the presidential palace (Arg) is seeking to engineer the elections in order to take the power again.
“May 22 (Jawza the first) is the official end of the government after five years and all Afghan people, political consensus of the presidential candidates, civil activists, political and Jihadi faces want Ghani to step down,” he added.
Noor ul-Haq Ulumi, a presidential candidate also said at the gathering that “the government has no justification for its extending its tenure after May 22.
“If Mr Ghani wants to prevent a major political crisis, he should respect the constitution and stand down,” he stressed.
“If Ghani does not step down, we will challenge the government,” warned Mohammad Mohaqeq, the second deputy to the peace and moderation electoral ticket.
Ahmad Wali Massoud, another presidential candidate emphasized that “presidential candidates’ council, country’s politicians, and representatives of 15 countries want Mr Ghani to step down.”
At the end of the gathering, a resolution was issued by Junbish-e Gozar, in which it backed up a caretaker administration.
However, Wednesday will be the end of NUG’s legal term, but it is not clear whether the presidential palace will accept the demands of politicians.
