KABUL - A new survey carried out by the Center for Strategic and Regional Studies (CSRS) has found that the majority of people in Afghanistan are skeptical about government’s policies on economy, security and corruption.
The (CSRS) poll shows that distrust among Afghans continues over the government’s anti-graft strategy and foreign policy track.
The poll notes that almost 90 percent of Afghans have said that they believe government is facing serious challenges.
On the basis of the poll, the majority of Afghans have become increasingly more skeptical about peace efforts.
The CSRS has covered a range of issues in Afghanistan over the past fifteen years with the main focus on the peace process, foreign policy, corruption, refugees, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), economy, security and criminal cases.
According to CSRC, the National Unity Government (NUG) under President Ashraf Ghani and his Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Abdullah Abdullah has failed to address these issues.
“Governance has a lot of deficiencies and nothing was done to improve it,” said CSRS chairman Abdul Baqi Amin.
The report states that almost 70 percent of Afghans have said government is not firmly committed to fighting corruption in the country.
“A lack of commitment within the government’s political leadership, weakness of the legal and judicial institutions and influence of powerful elements within government institutions are among the main issues which have undermined efforts to address the challenges,” the poll reads.
“In our assessment we interviewed the educated people who have their masters (degrees),” said CSRS member Hikmatullah Zaland.
The report indicates that the High Peace Council (HPC) has failed to make a breakthrough in peace talks with insurgents and no tangible outcomes have been achieved.
“The lack of harmony between members of the peace council is the main reason of their failure for peace,” said CSRS member Ahmad Bilal Khalil.
89 percent of the respondents said government failed to create jobs for Afghans while 71 percent raised doubts over government’s economic strategy.
80 percent of respondents said that economic development in the country has deteriorated during the present government compared to the previous administration.
On security, 58 percent of respondents said that security is likely to further deteriorate in the country.
“I think the report provides a good guideline for those who do research in subjects related to peace, corruption, security and other issues,” said university lecturer Mohammad Zubair Shafiq.
The CSRS talked with at least 701 Afghans in the country’s major cities.
Meanwhile, deputy presidential spokesman Shahhussain Murtazawi has said that the NUG has performed well in the economic sector and several trade and transit routes were opened since the formation of the present government.
“The national unity government has made a lot of gains over the past two years, you are aware that domestic investment in infrastructure increased and new trade and transit routes were opened. There are problems regarding corruption, however there is political will to combat the trend and also the Anti-
Corruption Criminal Justice Center has taken some practical steps,” said Murtazawi. (Tolonews)