KABUL – In a clear sign of growing rift, leading politicians in Afghanistanon Monday announced that they would not attend a government-led grandconsultation conference for peace in the country.
Leading presidential candidates Mohammad Haneef Atmar and Rehmatullah Nabilannounced boycotting the forthcoming Loya Jirga (grand consultativeconference of elders) to be held in the capital Kabul.
In separate statements, Atmar and Nabil dubbed the proposed nationalconference as part of the government’s political campaign for theforthcoming presidential polls.
Atmar, a longtime ally of President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, resigned lastyear as national security adviser citing differences as the reason. Nabilis the former head of the spy agency, National Directorate of Security.
Both are competitors to President Ghani in the polls scheduled forSeptember.
On Sunday, Ghani’s power-sharing Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullahalso distanced himself from the Loya Jirga. Abdullah, who is also apresidential candidate, said he has not been consulted for thisconsultative meeting.
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Last week, the Taliban had also announced they will not attend theconsultative meeting.
The Afghan government is set to hold the four-day meeting to discussproposed peace deal with the Taliban in the capital Kabul later this month.
Last week, Mohammad Umer Daudzai, secretary of the High Peace Counciltasked with striking a peace deal with the militant group, told AnadoluAgency that the Kabul government would like the Taliban to join some 2,500Afghan public representatives from across the country to share views forsustainable peace in the country at the ‘Loya Jirga’.
The militants have so far not shown inclination towards direct peace talkswith the Afghan government.
