Ghani opposes hasty peace, has ‘very clear’ plan

KABUL: President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday said he has a clear plan for peace compared to “external plans” but reiterated that there shouldn’t be haste in the process.

Ghani, whose message was played to a large gathering of residents from northern provinces in Kabul, said that there is a need for the establishment of a peace government. Ghani added that he will transfer power through elections after holding a Loya Jirga—a grand council—and taking the people’s advice. But he reiterated that he will not run in any future election. “Our proposal for transition from an imposed war to a just and permanent peace is very clear,” Ghani said, referring to his proposed plan for peace. “I will not go into details … any proposals that come from outside, we have the capacity to proposed more inclusive and principled plans.”

The president reiterated that there is a need for patience in the peace efforts. “Peace is a forum between us, the Taliban and the international community. Therefore, we should achieve results through continued and effective discussions on basic principles. No one should hurry. We need to have a plan to exchange for every proposal offered by our partners,” Ghani stated. He referred to his previous remarks by saying that the Constitution is the basis for legitimacy in Afghanistan. “The key point is: There should be legitimacy in all processes of transitioning from war to peace. The basis for legitimacy is the current Constitution, and the current Constitution has clear ways for its amendment,” Ghani said.

“The tool for legitimacy is an election. Our promise and commitment to you are that national power will be transferred to our elected successor based on your will.”