Power deal may prove problematic: Activists

LASHKARGAH (Pajhwok): Civil society activists in southern Helmand province on Sunday feared the long-awaited power-sharing deal between the two presidential candidates might prove problematic in future.

The agreement on the formation of a unity government set the stage for President Hamid Karzai’s departure from office and marked the country’s first peaceful transfer of power between elected governments.

Presidential candidate Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and his rival Abdullah Abdullah will share power for the next five years, with Ghani serving as president and Abdullah as a chief executive officer.

To discuss the development, civil society activists held a gathering in Lashkargah, the provincial capital. The gathering was organized by the Ghazi Mohammad Jan Khan civil society group, in which a large number of activists took part.

Dr. Mohammad Sarwar Asim, the group’s head, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the new president should be elected on the basis of law and percentage of their votes.

He said the Afghans would not accept a decision imposed by outsiders and they would only endorse a leader having obtained the most votes.

A participant of the gathering, Rahmatullah, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the power-sharing deal was based on personal interests and had nothing to do with people’s wellbeing.

Civil society activist Mohammad Abid said no agreement was better than the formation of an illegal government.

The participants issued a statement that said if the election commission did not release the election results before the formation of a coalition government, they would launch protests.

However, the deal has been struck at the Presidential Palace, with President Karzai calling it in the interest of Afghanistan’s future and stability. Karzai promised he would extend every possible support to the new government.

After signing the agreement, the two candidates briefly hugged, but did not speak to the media about the context of the deal.

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