KABUL (JIA), Hezb-i-Wahdat Mardum and Junbish-i-Milli Afghanistan parties, saying the move was aimed at serving personal interests.
Wolesi Jirga’s 2nd deputy speaker Mohammad Nazir Ahmadzai told today’s session that any attempt at overthrowing the system would be thwarted.
Acting foreign minister JIA CEO Salahuddin Rabbani, JIA’s senior member Atta Mohammad Noor , first deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mohammad Mohaqiq, who is leader of the Hezb-i-Wahdat Mardum, recently visited 1st VP Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum in Ankara city of Turkey.
Reports said the meeting had agreed upon establishment of a new political alliance named “High Council of Coalition for Salvation of Afghanistan”.
After their meeting in Ankara, the three parties in a joint statement said the meeting discussed forming an alliance to deal with illegal acts of the unity government, prevent the system’s overthrow, political chaos and to restore public confidence.
The parties identified as priorities full implementation of the unity government’s agreement, restoration of legitimate authorities to 1st VP Gen. Dostum and ministers, and reinstatement of CEO and his deputies’ authorities.
Wadir Safi, a political expert, believed the new alliance wouldn’t last long because what he said it was formed for seeking power, achieving personal, ethnical and lingual benefits.
“If these people’s pockets were filled with banknotes or their positions reassured, they would immediately shun the alliance. This is not the proper time for such alliances; they should come and help in ensuring security of the country.”
He said preferring personal interests over national ones, particularly in the current situation, was actually destroying the Afghanistan people.
Mohammad Kabir Ranjbar, another political expert and head of the Lawyers’ Association of Afghanistan, about the alliance said: “They are part of the government while opposing it, their alliance has no legal basis.” He said every step which was against people’s interest would not unsucceed.
Ranjbar, while recalling earlier alliances of the same groups, said the coalition would also be unable to persist long.
According to him, during the civil war after 1991 the same people used to switch allegiance, keeping in view their personnel interest.
Saira Sharif, a lawmaker from eastern Nangarhar province during today’s session criticized the three-party alliance, saying those who worked within the system shouldn’t enter alliances against the system or criticize the government.
Aryan Youn, another lawmaker, said the alliance had resulted from personal interests and was against national and people’s interests. “These individuals should first resign from government posts and then criticize the government.”
Mohammad Sarwar Usmani Farahi, a legislator from Farah province, said: “Alliances are good if the aim is to bring about reforms, combat prejudice, preserve national interests and strengthen the government.”
Ahmadzai, 2nd deputy speaker of Wolesi Jirga, said forming coalition and protests were the right of people in case they were in favour of national interests and fell within the framework of law.
The leaders of three major ethnic minority political parties issued a list of demands for reforms and vowed to hold mass protests unless they are met.
A government spokesman told news outlets that the government welcomed any move that contributed to national interests. He said the individuals leading the coalition were part of the government and were accountable for its weaknesses.
A spokesman for Gulbuddin Hekmatyar said the new coalition seemed “suspicious” and might be more interested in “personal demands” than public ones
The ethnic opposition leaders called for city-wide demonstrations starting Monday, days after protest tents were dismantled by fore by security forces in Kabul.
sns /ma
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