U.S. proposes interim government in Afghanistan until new polls

March 9, 2021 - 17:58

A draft peace plan proposed by the United States for Afghanistan has called for the current government to be replaced with an interim administration until a new constitution is agreed and elections held, while a joint commission monitors a ceasefire.

The Afghan warring parties, however, have long harbored deep objections to key ideas in the proposal, reviewed by the Reuters and The Associated Press (AP) news agencies on Monday.

The U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, shared the eight-page Transitional Peace Government proposal last week with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, opposition and civil society leaders and Taliban negotiators.

Under the interim government, the national parliament could either be expanded to include Taliban members or suspended until after the election, the plan suggests.

It also says Afghanistan could “not host terrorists or permit terrorist-related activity on its soil” that threatens other countries and that the Taliban would have to abandon safe havens and military ties “in neighboring countries”.

The document outlines the terms of a ceasefire and its enforcement, calls for the protection of the rights of women, children and minorities and envisions a truth and reconciliation commission aimed at healing 42 years of conflict.

According to al Jazeera, U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price would not confirm the draft, saying: “It’s often important for our diplomatic efforts that we’re able to conduct them in private.”