Afghan political parties expect a “truly inclusive government,” capable of bringing all parties and movements together in order to move the peace process forward, a move that Dr. Abdullah Abdullah also called for after his signing of the agreement with President Ghani on Sunday.

The political agreement has raised hopes for Afghans, who face increasing threats of violence and COVID-19.
 
The agreement gives Abdullah a 50 percent share of cabinet appointments and authorized him to lead the High Council for National Reconciliation. It also brings together Afghan politicians under the High Council of Government.

“The two sides should forget the election dispute,” said Nasrullah Stanikzai, a university lecturer in law and politics.

“The government that is going to be formed needs to be 'truly inclusive' and should cover all prominent political parties in Afghanistan,” said Fazl Hadi Wazin, the deputy head of Hizb-e-Islami led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.

The former head of the National Directorate of Security, Rahmatullah Nabil, who ran for president in last year’s elections, said the current deal is many times better than the absence of a government.

“The two teams consider the agreement as a win-win, not a win-lose,” Nabil said. “They (the two teams) should get back to work as soon as possible to end the crisis and remove or reduce the obstacles that the country is facing.”

The Jamiat-e-Islami Party, a main supporter of Abdullah in the elections, announced on Monday that it is not involved in this agreement and that “the government as a result of the agreement does not have legitimacy” for them.

“This agreement has been signed between the two leaders to the calamitous detriment of the Afghan people. It means there will be a repeat of the National Unity Government,” said Mohammad Hakim Torsan, a former presidential candidate.

First Vice President Amrullah Saleh, who was not in favor of such an agreement previously, in a social media post said President Ghani made the agreement to ensure political diversity in the cabinet and to bring in figures from other teams.