Afghan Opposition Calls For New Gov't Capable Of Organizing Transparent Presidential Vote

KABUL (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th June, 2019) Afghanistan's presidential candidates and opposition have called for an interim government to replace the current one, which has been accused of failing to guarantee a transparent presidential campaign, so that a fresh election can be organized.

The Afghan presidential election, originally scheduled for April 20, has been delayed twice � first until July 20 and then until September 28. The tenure of incumbent President Ashraf Ghani officially ended in May, but the government extended it by order of the Supreme Court. The decisions to postpone the vote raised concerns among the opposition about the legitimacy of the election.

"The legitimate term of the government has ended, an interim government should hold presidential elections.

We do not believe in the [current] government's commitment in holding a transparent election," Hanif Atmar, a presidential candidate who served as interior minister from 2008-2010 and national security adviser from 2014-2018, told a gathering in the Afghan capital of Kabul.

At the rally, which drew many presidential candidates and opposition, Atmar accused the government of sabotaging the Afghan peace process, calling the cabinet "an opponent of peace."

The calls for an interim government come as the Taliban and United States are scheduled to hold their seventh round of peace talks this Saturday, which is expected to produce a deal for the withdrawal of US troops. The peace talks are due to take place in the Qatari capital of Doha.