Peace should top next president’s priorities: Massoud

KABUL (Pajhwok): Presidential advisor on tribal affairs Shahzada Massoud on Friday said peace should top priorities of the next president, who should take advantage of President Hamid Karzai’s 12 years experience.

In an exclusive interview with Pajhwok Afghan News, Massoud said the next government should not be formed on the wishes and demands of certain groups and organisations.

“This is our demand from the next president to make efforts for a lasting peace and durable stability as his top most priority,” he said.

He said President Karzai’s views and advices should be considered in every national and international engagement given his experience.

He said he knew the incumbent president since the jihad era and he loved the country from the core of his heart.

The advisor said Karzai’s inclusion in the formation of the next national unity government was essential because he had been making efforts for Afghanistan’s stability on national and international levels from the time of being in exile.

During the civil war and the Taliban regime, all doors to development had been shut on Afghanistan, where armed groups had been fighting each other and neighbouring countries brazenly interfering, he remembered.

“It was the time when hatred was sown among tribes and ethnic divisions had reached the peak. The arrival of Karzai brought along a system, a dream which the masses did not expect to be materialized. He forged national unity and put in place measures essential to block the interferences of neighbouring countries.”

Massoud said President Karzai had been able to earn Afghanistan a respected place in the comity of nations in a short period of 13 years with his wise decisions. The Afghans assembled together under his leadership and saw the country achieving progress in every sphere of life, he remarked.

Massoud supported compromises Karzai made during his two terms, saying they were in the interest of the country, but criticised the increase in administrative corruption and failure to achieve peace during his rule.

He said not only Karzai’s administration, including the High Peace Council and the anti-corruption body, but the international community had failed to end graft and bring peace to Afghanistan.

However, he said a democratic system had been implemented in the country and President Karzai was going to transfer the power to a newly elected president in a peaceful way.

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