Analysis: Political parties trying to reclaim former glory

KABUL parties are capitalizing on opportunities to criticize the government in order to regain their prior positions of power.

Burhanuddin Rabbani, leader of Jamiat-e-Islami, or the Islamic Society, said at a gathering of party members that the current government lacks unity and a clear plan, and that it is incapable of addressing all the issues facing the country on its own.

He said Jamiat-e-Islami could solve the nation’s current crisis by holding a national congress and implementing political, cultural, and economic activities.

If the government and the political parties work together, they can create a better future for their countrymen, Rabbani said.

But Haroon Mir, a well-known analyst in Afghanistan, told Pajhwok Afghan News that some of the party’s leaders are crafting this message in an attempt to re-establish their political prominence.

He said that after being chief of the peace jirga, Rabbani not only hopes to secure an prominent role for himself, but also wants his political party to play an important role in shaping the future of Afghanistan. 

However, Mir pointed out, the political parties do not have any position in the nation and therefore cannot play an effective role in the country’s political system.

Mr. Mir said that Rabbani wants his party to be as important as it was during the 1980s, when Rabbani was a popular resistance leader against the Soviets.

He said: “I do not know what kind of activities Mr. Rabbani says he has done in recent years, but the people have not forgotten the civil war. So these parties have not been able to recover in the past 10 years.”

Another well-known Afghan analyst, Waheed Mujhda, said: “Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani feels that President Karzai is alone, and that if they join hands, they will save the country from its current crisis.”

But he added that even if Jamiat-e-Islami and President Karzai join forces, they will not be able to release the country from the current crisis. In Mujhda’s analysis, the current crisis has been fabricated by the government, and a traditional Loya Jirga is needed to establish a long-term strategic relationship with the US.

But, Mujhda said, if the political leaders and parties work within in the framework of the government, they could play an important and effective role in creating sustainable peace and security in the country.

Meanwhile, Waqaf Hakimi, spokesman for Rabbani’s Jamiat-e-Islami of Afghanistan, said that Afghanistan is in limbo. The political parties, especially Jamiat-e-Islami, can play an effective role in reversing the country’s situation, he said.

He said: “The aim of professor Rabbani is that our government has faced many challenges, and the government must make a serious review regarding the issues in the country.”   

Jamiat-e-Islami is a party that most of the people support, he said, and therefore it could play effective role in the country’s system.

mrh/at

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