Afghans remain concerned about the country’s future amid political uncertainty, which has deepened as President Ashraf Ghani and his political rival Abdullah Abdullah have not reached an agreement to form an inclusive government, nor has one conceded to the other.

The political tension between Ghani and Abdullah deepened after the election commission announced Ghani as the winner of the presidential election. As a result, two parallel inaugurations were held on one day, a first in Afghan history.

Some Kabul residents interviewed by TOLOnews on Saturday said the country’s leaders are not thinking about the national interest, which would require putting aside their differences and reaching an agreement.

“They are 10 days here, and 20 days abroad. Their children are not here, and if something happens, they will leave the country,” said Haji Noorullah, a Kabul resident.

“They would have felt the pain of the people if their children were here,” said Hafizullah, a Kabul resident, referring to a number of Afghan leaders whose families are living out of the country.

Other residents said Afghanistan will fail to cope with the COVID-19 crisis if the political tensions continue.

“I want to say that Afghans are zealous and they should use this zeal in solving their problems and addressing the plight of the poor and vulnerable people,” said Najibullah, a Kabul resident.

“The two sides (Ghani and Abdullah) should try to prevent the country from crisis,” said Mohammad Tamim Mohammadi, a Kabul resident.

A lawmaker from Herat, Attaullah Dehqanpoor, said the international community, particularly the United States, will not pay further attention to Afghanistan if the dispute is not resolved.

“They (Americans) said they are ready to cut their assistance if the political problem remains unsolved,” he said.

This comes as Ghani on Friday said he has proposed that the leadership of the peace council be taken up by his political opponent Abdullah Abdullah.

“You share with Mr. Abdullah the issue that I am suggesting. It is the leadership of the peace process,” Ghani said. “A high peace council should be established and (Dr. Abdullah) should head the high peace council.”

Ghani added: “His (Abdullah’s) protocol can be the protocol of a vice president-- his security, his budget, his decision- making, all can be discussed. We have full flexibility.”

But Fraidoon Khwazoon, a spokesman for Abdullah, said the results of the election should be invalidated in order to move forward towards other solutions for the current political crisis in the country.

“First, the election results should be invalidated and then the plan which has been presented by us and by the other side should be discussed so that an agreement is achieved,” Khwazoon said. “No discussion will have any result unless (the election) result is invalidated.”