A number of presidential candidates emphasize the importance of a peace agreement between the Afghan government and the Taliban insurgent group before holding the upcoming elections.

AVA- According to these presidential candidates, the election will not have the required legitimacy without peace and stability across the country.
“We must reach to a peace agreement before elections. Then we will have a legitimate government,” said Shahab Hakimi, a presidential candidate.
Enayatullah Hafiz, another presidential candidate suggests ceasefire announcement before elections.
“In order to have a fair and overall election, we must have a ceasefire. This will ensure both the election and peace process continuation,” Hafiz said.
At the same time, the U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan Reconciliation has also emphasized that there must be a peace agreement before holding the presidential election in the war-torn country.
Electoral observers express their concerns regarding the ambiguity of the Afghan peace process.
“If there is no result for the peace talks and there is a plan going on for the establishment of an interim government, then the government will not have any legitimacy and the presidential election should be held on time,” said Habib Shinwary, a member of Election and Transparency Watch of Afghanistan (ETWA).
These remarks come as there are doubts about the capacity of Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission to hold a transparent and fair election across the country.