Three years ago on this day the political power was peacefully transferred from former president Hamid Karzai to the two leading presidential election candidates, President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, who currently lead the National Unity Government, established based on a political agreement between the two frontrunners.
A number of politicians, members of the public and analysts said the NUG leaders have had many failures to deliver their promises during the past three years.
Fighting the endemic corruption in public offices, strengthening the rule of law, brining fundamental reforms in the electoral process and the electoral bodies, holding parliamentary and district councils’ elections, issuing electronic national identity cards, forming a commission for amending the Constitution and holding the Constitutional Loya Jirga, the Grand Assembly, within the first two years of the National Unity Government were the key promises mentioned in the NUG political agreement.
“Poverty increased day-by-day, unemployment is on the rise, corruption is in its highest level and mafia groups are active; then in which area government is successful? Go and ask from the public. People are unhappy,” said Naqibullah Hashimi, member of Kabul Provincial Council.
“Fundamental works that could regain people’s trust and the activities that help us to have a transparent election, have not happened. Only the employees have been changed in the electoral commission. Also we should have held the parliamentary and district councils’ elections in the past three years,” Yusuf Rasheed, CEO of Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan.
A number of politicians and former government officials said the NUG leaders have been busy with the tensions and disagreements between them instead of bringing reforms and delivering their promises
“The national unity has been damaged; such an ethnic problem has never happened among the people and in the Afghanistan's history (as it has happened during the past three years). For instance, the issue of Dostum-Eshchi, Mohaqiq and Danish, the issue of (Balkh governor) Atta (Mohammad Noor) and (Chief Executive Abdullah) Abdullah and the tension between Hizb-e-Islami and Jamiat-e-Islami,” former advisor to the Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, Dawood Asas said.
The Presidential Palace meanwhile admitted that there have been a number of challenges in the past three years, but insisted that the NUG has made good achievements so far.
“In our foreign affairs, we have built good relationships with the world in five circles. Except Pakistan, we have a defined and strategic relations with all the countries,” said Shahussain Murtazawi, President Ashraf Ghani’s spokesman. “After 40 years, Afghanistan has reached a good position in terms of politics and it is a great achievement. In the trade and transit, we have attracted the attention of the countries in the region towards the importance of Afghanistan’s geographic location.”