Ghani urges Taliban to sit at negotiating table

AVA- The call came over than a week after the president made offers to the Taliban at an international conference in Kabul; however, the group has yet to officially react to the invitation.
“We are telling the Taliban that it is in the interest of Islam and Afghanistan that we sit at the negotiating table,” Ghani said.
He said that terror groups would resort to different means to damage peace process. “To achieve (peace), we should be patient,” Ghani said.
‘Timely parliamentary, presidential elections inevitable’
During his speech, the president also emphasized that the country’s parliamentary and presidential elections will be held at specified time.
The parliamentary election was originally scheduled for July 2015, but it faced repeated delays with officials now hoping to hold it in October this year. The country’s presidential election is expected in mid-2019.
“Holding parliamentary and presidential elections at specified time is a must and inevitable,” Ghani told lawmakers.
The president also stressed on transparency of the elections, adding it was government’s duty to prevent interference in elections affairs by any party including security forces, civilian institutions and political circles.
“The Independent Election Commission should work with a full national spirit, avoid political favouring and maintain its impartiality,” Ghani said.
The president said that he and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah had prevented personally meeting with IEC officials in order to avoid suspicion of meddling.