Without Parliament’s Vote, No Peace Talks: Ghani
The first session of the seventeenth legislative term of the Afghan National Assembly was opened on 26 April, attended by the president, government officials, and political leaders. president Ghani said that “there will be no peace talks without the green card of the parliament”.
The first session of the seventeenth legislative term of the Afghan National Assembly was opened on 26 April, attended by the president, government officials, and political leaders. president Ghani said that “there will be no peace talks without the green card of the parliament”.
“The House of Representatives should be inaugurated six months ago, but it was not done due to the incompetence of former election commission members,” said president M. Ashraf Ghani.
“I believe in the great and legitimate status of the National Assembly as one of the pillars of the state’s tripartite power and I respect it. Your participation in the elections and your presence in this house shows that Afghans consider democracy for themselves and there is no other way to represent the nation except through the elections,” Mr Ghani addressed the representatives.
“My hope is that the 17th round of the new chapter would be close to the three pillars of the government, so that we can better show our country’s judgment and solidity to the world, region, and people,” he added, pointing that he understands the triple role of the Wolisi Jirga, representing the people, and overseeing the government.
He emphasized that the uneasiness of the past times should not be repeated.
“Let’s call this legislative term as the period of national unity solidarity through the threefold force. Only the continuation of the system and maintenance of the constitution can gather the nation under one roof such as today,” president Ghani said.
Peace and the role of the national assembly
“We have presented the peace plan on a regular basis and we are committed to it,” he said. “Based on this plan, there will be no peace deal and negotiation that does not have the green card of the parliament.”
“Be sure that you will be a key part of the Afghan Peace Team. Ownership of the peace process means that the representatives of the nation are not kept in dark,” he addressed the lawmakers.
The 17th legislative term of the parliament was inaugurated while the Independent Election Commission (IEC) did not finalize the results of the Kabul parliamentary elections. Despite this, the Afghan parliament was opened Friday without the presence of representatives of Kabul and Ghazni provinces.
Afghanistan crisis management group described the inauguration of the parliament, in the absence of the representatives of Kabul and Ghazni provinces, as oppression to the rights of the people of these two provinces, considering it as a political and illegal act.
