KABUL - Ahmad Zia Massoud, former special envoy on reforms and good governance, on Tuesday claimed the president had no right to dismiss him under the agreement on the formation of the national unity government (NUG).
Talking to reporters here regarding his sacking, Massoud alleged the government had not come to power through a free and fair election. “Massive rigging had happened in the (2014) election
“Subsequently, all agreed on creating a government based on compromise and power-sharing to bring political stability to the country. My struggle in the election was to prevent instability; otherwise we would have witnessed a civil war,” he said.
A written agreement on the unity government formation existed and the president reserved no right to fire him, the ex-advisor maintained, asking Ghani to revoke his orders and tell the people that his decision was wrong.
Earlier, the Presidential Palace said Massoud had been sacked under Article 64, Clause 13 of the Constitution. What prompted Ghani to remove Massoud, who has lately been critical of the government, remains unclear.

Massoud was first vice president from 2004 to 2009 in the first elected government of Hamid Karzai. He ran with then foreign minister Dr. Zalmai Rassoul in the 2014 presidential election, but endorsed Ghani in the second round of the vote. (Pajhwok)