Afghan tensions rise as Abdullah lashes out at Ghani

Afghanistan's chief executive says president 'unfit to rule' as deadline looms for political reforms under US-brokered deal.

Ashraf Ghani, left, speaks as his rival Abdullah Abdullah looks on during a joint press conference with US secretary of state John Kerry at the United Nations Compound in Kabul on August 8, 2014, afteShow more

KABUL // Afghanistan’s long-running political crisis took a new turn on Friday when chief executive Abdullah Abdullah declared his ally, president Ashraf Ghani was “unfit for the presidency.”

Following the public insult, followers of Mr Abdullah threatened to withdraw their support for the government unless president Ghani meets their demands.

The two men both claimed victory in the 2014 elections but in a deal negotiated by the American secretary of state John Kerry, they agreed to share power in a national unity government, with Mr Abdullah reluctantly accepting the secondary role.

The agreement was set to last two years on the assumption that certain promised reforms, including holding parliamentary elections and changing the constitution to create the post of prime minister for Mr Abduallh, would be introduced.

However, they have not materialised and what is more, both president Ghani and Mr Kerry now say there is no year two-year expiry date for the national unity government.

Mr Abdullah’s frustration has now boiled over into a very public slanging match with his supporters saying he will no longer tolerate being marginalised.

“Electoral reforms were one of the promises made when the National Unity Government was formed. Why weren’t these reforms brought?” Abdullah told a small gathering in Kabul. “Mr President, over a period of three months you do not have time to see your chief executive face-to-face for even an hour or two? What do you spend your time on? There are arguments in every government but if someone does not have patience for discussion, then he is unfit for the presidency.”

The relationship between Mr Ghani and Mr Abdullah has been tense since they formed the national unity government, with each vetoing the other’s Cabinet choices. Delays in appointments became excuses for non-compliance with the terms of the NUG agreement.

Javid Faisal, Abdullah’s deputy spokesman, said that while the two had appeared at meetings together, they had not had face-to-face meetings for three months. meanwhile Afghanistan has been falling further into disarray. The Taliban insurgency, now in its 15th year has intensified in recent weeks in the southern province of Helmand. The military is in the midst of a major offensive, with US backup, against ISIL in the eastern province of Nangarhar along the Pakistani border. The government has failed to create jobs and attract investment to kick-start the moribund economy. Mr Ghani has also been forced to deal with potentially destabilising accusations of discrimination from the minority Hazaras, a largely impoverished Shiite community.

Amrullah Saleh, a former head of the national intelligence agency who now leads the grass roots Green Trend party, said Mr Ghani should stop “micromanaging” the government and “consolidating personal power.” Saleh said. He warned that Abdullah’s supporters include regional warlords and power brokers like Ismail Khan, formerly governor of western Herat province, Atta Muhammad Noor, governor of the northern Balkh province, and others who led forces against the Soviet invasion and the Taliban’s brutal five-year rule. Many are members of the Jamiat-e-Islami political party, though Mr Saleh said they represented a wider base. “We are an anti-Taliban constituency that supported Dr Abdullah during the presidential elections,” Saleh said.

A number of his backers have formed an opposition party called the Afghanistan Protection and Stability Council, under the leadership of former militia commander Abdul Rasool Sayyaf, who said its aim was to pressure the government on electoral reform, as well as improvements to the economy and security.

Meanwhile, former president Hamid Karzai meets regularly with his own supporters, and though he denies he is undermining Mr Ghani’s leadership, he is vocal in his criticisms. Many observers in Kabul have been waiting for Mr Ghani’s opponents to reveal their intentions ahead of the expiry of the NUG.

In an indication of his own frustrations — as well as the pressure he faces to stand up to president Ghani — Mr Abdullah publicly accused Mr Ghani of “paralysing” the government because he delivers lectures instead of listening to ministers. “If someone does not have patience, they do not have the right to be president,” he said.

His words do not just indicate weariness with his own marginalisation from the business of government, which has been public knowledge for months, but point to rising demands from his backers who have been agitating against Mr Ghani’s unilateral control of government.

Ghani’s office issued a statement Friday in reaction to Abdullah’s speech, saying the NUG had made “remarkable achievements.” It said Abdullah’s remarks were against the “spirit of governance.”

Saleh said: “Ghani needs to understand that this is not his country, that rule by a clique is not possible. We have shown a lot of restraint but we hope to achieve the full implementation of the NUG political agreement.”

* Associated Press