Govt rejects ICG report as far from reality

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Afghan government on Tuesday rejected an International Crisis Group (ICG) report that warns the incumbent government’s future “is shaky, hemmed in by internal disagreements and facing a revived insurgency.”

The report has asked President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Abdullah to work together for the stability of the national unity government, an influential global group says.

However, the Brussels-based group acknowledges the government has been able to maintain macro-economic stability besides boosting domestic revenues and winning donor commitments.

Bickering within the government has stemmed from “vagueness of the US-brokered power-sharing deal between the president and his CEO — a position that is yet to be given constitutional cover.

However, the Afghan government rejected the report as far from facts. Dawa Khan Minapal, deputy spokesman to the president, told Pajhwok Afghan News the concerns cited in the report were baseless.

He said leaders of the national unity government were on the same page over national and international issues and there were no differences between them on anything.

“Probably they disagree on some small issues, but it is common in democratic societies,” Minapal said, insisting government posts were filled on merit not tribal lines.

Minapal said there was no political instability in Afghanistan and the leaders had consensus over national and international issues.

He said the Afghan forces were courageously defending their people and the soil and they conducted operations every day.

Javed Faisal, deputy spokesman to the CEO, also said the ICG report, which was published late, mentioned nothing important about the current affairs.

He said problems mentioned in the report had been resolved and currently there were no such problems.

He said the leaders were working together and had taken effective steps to reform the electoral regime. The election commissioners were replaced with qualified individuals, he added.

“All tribes are given representation in the government. The first vice-president is Uzbek, the second vice-president is Hazara and Cabinet members are from different tribes,” he said.

mds/ma

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