The Hizb-e-Islami party, blaming the Presidential Palace for not delivering on its promise about the structure and the authority of the Supreme State Council, has announced that Gulbuddin Hekmatyar will not join it as a member.
A member of the Hizb-e-Islami party, Humayoun Jarir, on Tuesday said in a statement: “The Arg (Presidential Palace) has not followed through on the promises it made in the trilateral meeting with Mr. Hekmatyar and Mr. Karzai.
“We believe that the government is forming the council it wants with its supporters among the members. The Hizb-e-Islami party has never been in the government and will not participate in the Supreme State Council.”
Meanwhile, a member of Jamiat-e-Islami (Salahuddin Rabbani faction) has also raised concerns about the authority and structure of the council.
“The efforts that have been made recently were manipulated for personal agenda and political ambitions. Jamiat-e-Islami believes that any council that is formed – its areas of work and authorities must be specified,” said a member of Jamiat-e-Islami.
However, the National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan led by Marshal Dostum has said that the government has made some commitments to them about the structure and authority of the council.
“If the government remains committed to what it had pledged before about the structure, which was also leaked in media, and considers balance in the structure, of course, we will support it. If it does not happen, then it will remain incomplete,” said Ehsan Nairo, a spokesman for Marshal Dostum.
According to a document seen by TOLOnews this week, an 18-member list has been prepared for the membership of the Supreme State Council, but the Presidential Palace said it is not final so far.
However, sources familiar with the matter said that besides Hasina Safi and Fatima Gailani, three more women will have membership on the council.
The council was supposed to be formed simultaneously with the High Council for National Reconciliation when President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah signed a political agreement last year. But efforts to form the council have been expedited over the last few months. As part of these efforts, President Ghani met with a number of politicians over the last few weeks.
