The State Minister on Peace Affairs on Thursday said that the majority of the nation’s political leaders are ready to become members of the Supreme State Council and will help the government in the post-withdrawal scenario.
Sayed Saadat Mansour Naderi, the State Minister on Peace Affairs, said that the Supreme State Council will be an authorized body and will deal with issues of national importance including the issue of war and peace.
He said that the peace negotiating team representing the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan will soon decide to return to Doha to resume the talks with the Taliban side.
Also on Wednesday, the Afghan government said that the authorities, agenda and working procedures of the Supreme State Council have been finalized and that the council will soon convene its first working meeting.
“The council will focus on highly important and key issues including peace. There is the possibility that key issues regarding the peace process will be brought in the council for discussions and for decision making,” said Sayed Saadat Mansour Naderi, the state minister on peace affairs.
“We had a meeting under the chairmanship of his excellency, Dr. Abdullah. The peace negotiating team will have another meeting on Saturday,” said Naderi.
“The draft has been finalized and it will be shared with us as committed, but the details about the names and authorities have not been shared with the Junbish leadership so far and we hope that it is prepared as per the expectations,” said Enayatullah Babur Farahmand, the deputy head of the High Council of National Reconciliation.
Naderi stated that the Taliban have not indicated a willingness to enter into peace negotiations, however, he said that the republic team is ready to resume talks.
“They should join hands so that we move forward toward peace,” said MP Zaifanon Safi.
According to a document seen by TOLOnews this week, an 18-person list has been prepared for the membership of the Supreme State Council, but the Presidential Palace has said it is not finalized. 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 Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah signed a political agreement last year. But efforts to form the council have been expedited over the last months. As part of these efforts, President Ghani has met with a number of politicians over the last few weeks.
This comes as in recent week president Ashraf Ghani was seen engaging in talks with the Afghan political leaders as part of the government’s efforts to finalize the State Supreme Council.
Afghan political leaders have been pressing the government to agree that the Supreme State Council will be a decision-maker body, not a symbolic entity.