KABUL - President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday said he does not want the political power to be someone’s inheritance and that the next government will demonstrate the will of the entire people of Afghanistan.
“The chapter of solidarity and unity has arrived, the next government will reflect the will of the entire people of the country. The next government will demonstrate the will of our nation and it will be a servant of the nation,” said Ghani on Thursday.
Ghani’s statement comes amid a political deadlock that has been gripping Afghanistan following the announcement of the presidential election results on the February 18.
Meanwhile, Ghani’s mainstream political rival, Abdullah Abdullah, who also held an inauguration ceremony on March 9, has welcomed a move by the United Nations to settle the ongoing political stalemate in the country.
On Wednesday Ghani in a decree announced the ending the chief executive's office.
The chief executive's office was established in 2014 in a power-sharing agreement negotiated to solve an election crisis involving Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah. Ghani became president, and Abdullah became chief executive.
But Abdullah rejected Ghani’s decree and branded him as a ‘former president’.
Abdullah in a statement on Wednesday said that the National Unity Government 'ended' after his swearing-in ceremony, and that “soon the chief executive of the inclusive government will officially be introduced.”
“Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, former president of the National Unity Government, is no longer president and his decrees and orders are invalid,” Abdullah said.
It appears that there are backdoor efforts underway to help overcome the ongoing deadlock.
On Thursday, Tadamichi Yamamoto, UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) met Abdullah in Kabul and the two sides discussed the peace process and the current situation in the country, according to a statement by Abdullah Abdullah.
“His excellency, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, president of Afghanistan, today met with the UN envoy to Afghanistan. In the meeting, the discussions focused on the ongoing crisis in the country and the peace process, which has now reached a very crucial stage,” said Omid Maisam, deputy spokesman to Abdullah Abdullah.
Afghan citizens concerned:
“If these brawls are not ended, this will not be in our interests and it will deepen the crisis, therefore, the politicians should come together and settle their issues and save the country from more of a crisis,” said Mohammad Munir Waziri, a resident in Kabul.
“We never saw two presidents in the world,   Mr. Abdullah is pulling it towards himself and Ashraf Ghani is the doing the same,” said Haseebullah, a resident in Kabul.
“There will be more wars if they do not come together,” said Samir, a resident in Kabul.
Previously sources on condition of anonymity told TOLOnews that Ghani had offered a 40 percent share to Abdullah’s team in the government, but Abdullah rejected the offer. (TOLO NEWS)