Critics Dub Peace Jirga ‘Election Campaign’

Representatives of some political parties Sunday dubbed the government propounded Consultative Loye Jirga on Peace an “election campaign” and a political move, amid struggles for country’s upcoming presidential elections in September.

Fawzia Kofi, member of Mohammad Hanif Atmar-led Peace and Moderation election ticket, said the allotted $5 million funds for Jirga (national assembly) is misusing the national budget.

“This Jirga will not help the peace process,” Kofi said, as quoted by local media. “It is only an election campaign and the misuse of the government resources in support of a specific candidate.”

Jawad Mir Yar, member of Mawj-e-Tahawul-e-Afghanistan political movement, said spending such amount of money for an assembly that does not have reliability and the outcome perhaps reflects back to the desire of government is an invasion to citizen’s right and “resources”.

“When the decisions of this Jirga are not implementable and the implementation of the decisions go back to the desire of the government, holding such as meeting with the cost of AFs369 million is wasting the resources of the Afghan people,” local media quoted Mir Yar as saying.

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Meanwhile, a member of the peace Jirga’s organizing committee Daud Kalakani said a huge number of people will come together from different parts of the country with a mind setting that their thoughts and voices will be considered as key lead for peace in the country.

“At least 2,500 or 3,000 people from across the country and the representatives of Afghan refugees will come together at the Jirga. Of course, they have some expectations from the Afghan government and the President to consider their suggestions,” said Kalakani.

Last month, President Ashraf Ghani in a decree assigned a committee, led by Umer Daudzai the head of the High Peace Council’s Secretariat, to convene the Consultative Loya Jirga on Peace amid efforts to push further the process for a war-free country.

The Jirga, which was initially scheduled on March 17, will be attended by Afghan delegates from various layers of the society, including 30 percent of women – Jirga is now due to April 29.