Sources close to Abdullah Abdullah said that he has made his final decisions about ending the political crisis and that he is preparing the final draft of his plan.
The sources added that Abdullah is seeking a decision-making leadership role in the peace process, but he wants all decisions regarding peace to be made collectively within the reconciliation council.
Abdullah’s aides will hold their final discussions to finalize Abdullah’s proposed plan, according to sources.
Officials from the Presidential Palace and the Sapidar Palace are optimistic that the political tension may end soon.
“It will be a nice step if Mr. Abdullah works on the peace process. We see it as a good omen. It will be in the country’s favor if President Ghani reaches an agreement with the Stability and Convergence team,” said Mohammad Karim Azimi, an analyst.
The sources also said that Abdullah has asked for a 50% share in the cabinet and for the authority to appoint governors in provinces where he had more votes in last year’s presidential elections.
Abdullah will propose the deal as a political agreement, the sources said.
The political tension has created concerns among other political parties that have not endorsed Ghani or Abdullah. Among them is the Hizb-e-Islami party led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, which issued a statement that blamed the US for deepening the crisis in Afghanistan and claimed that the US is trying to form another “joint venture” like the National Unity Government.
The statement also said the US is trying to divide power under the pretext of reconciliation between the Presidential Palace and the Sapidar Palace while the Americans should instead make an effort to end the war by facilitating intra-Afghan negotiations.
“The intra-Afghan negotiations and peace, which is the demand of the nation, will be damaged if a partnership government is formed,” said Hafiz-Ur-Rahman Naqi, a member of Hizb-e-Islami.
The public also remains concerned about the prolonged political tension, calling for an immediate end to it.
“The leaders are thinking about power while people are thinking about poverty,” said Nasrullah, a Kabul resident.
“We are wondering what our leaders want ultimately,” said Rokai, a Kabul resident.
Analysts say that an end to the political crisis will result in a review of the US decision of cutting its annual aid to Afghanistan, as well as allowing for the resumption of the peace process and a unified front to fight the coronavirus.