CEO post hurdle to political progress: Paktia elders

GARDEZ (Pajhwok): Tribal elders in southeastern Paktia province on Thursday said the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)’s work period has ended, calling the position a hurdle to improvement in the country’s political affairs.

The elders hailing from Paktia and some neighboring provinces had gathered in a hall in Gardez city, the provincial capital.

A tribal influential, Pacha Khan Zadran, said the CEO’s tenure had ended and a Loya Jirga should be called to decide the government’s fate.

He said all people were unhappy with CEO’ office activities and the position had been a hurdle to the development of Afghanistan’s political affairs.

He said the newly-appointed commissioners on the electoral bodies had been picked by government leaders and they would help their men succeed in Wolesi Jirga polls. “We don’t accept these commissioners.”  

Zadran said the country’s political situation was worsening day-by-day while Daesh despite being a huge threat to Afghanistan’s future was strengthening and advancing. 

An advisor to former president on tribal affairs, Shahzada Masood, said the government should have decided the fate of the CEO in the past two months. He said the government had breached many of the promises it held out to people.

Masood also criticized the new electoral commissioners and said they were chosen jointly by the government leaders.

He suggested that calling a Loya Jirga into session was the only way to find solutions to the current problems.

A civil society activist, Shafiqullah Sahar, said people now understood right and wrong actions of government leaders. He said the incumbent government’s weakness and internal issues would last long and would have bad impact on people.

He criticized the government, saying: “Abdullah and Ghani received most votes from Paktia residents but they ignored us in every national matter.”

sns/ma

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