Second Vice President Sarwar Danesh at a gathering on Monday blamed the Taliban for consistent delays and lack of process in the direct negotiations between negotiating teams of both sides in Doha. 

The Taliban is “the main obstacle” for progress in the peace negotiations in Doha, Danesh said, adding that the Taliban does not believe in a peaceful solution to the war in the country.

Danesh said the new US administration should review the Afghan peace process and that there is a need for support to the process from all sides.

The peace negotiations were inaugurated in September with the hope to end the four decades of war in the country. Negotiating teams representing the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban held more than 10 meetings in small set up called contact groups to discuss procedural rules for the talks. The two sides have agreed on almost all articles of the ground rules for negotiations except two: religious basis for the talks and the connection of the US-Taliban deal with the talks in Doha.

This comes as peace negotiator Fawzia Koofi on Sunday said that they remain hopeful that the disputed points on procedural rules of the talks are removed within the next few days to resume the meetings between delegates from both sides of the negotiations.

Sources familiar with the process said the host of the talks, Qatar, and other countries supporting the Afghan peace process have expedited their efforts to remove the hurdles in the way of the direct negotiations between both sides.

“The draft is exchanged between the two sides. Some words are added. Some words are changed. We hope to solve this issue within the next few days,” Koofi said.

“Recommendations are made by our side and by their side. The prolongation of the process is due to the fact that we are discussing the recommendations they make, and they discuss recommendations we make so that we can reach an agreement. We hope to achieve a result,” said Mohammad Naeem, spokesman for the Taliban’s political office in Doha.