04 January 2016•Update: 05 January 2016
KABUL, Afghanistan
Former leaders of Afghan jihadi groups urged the Kabul government on Monday to hold party-based parliamentary elections without delay.
The current parliament’s term expired last year. The government, however, has failed to hold fresh elections amid mounting Taliban attacks and the recent appearance of the Daesh militant group.
On Monday, Sayed Hamid Gillani, a prominent jihadi figure, announced the establishment of the High Council of Jihadi and Political Parties (HCJPP) in capital Kabul.
Speaking to journalists, Gillani said: "This council -- made up of 11 jihadi, spiritual and political parties -- will soon spread its message to other provinces."
The new council, he explained, supported the government’s ongoing peace efforts.
Gillani went on to stress, however, that the government should also work to curb corruption, ensure rule of law and create jobs for young people.
The new alliance, he asserted, was calling for urgent electoral reform in which political parties must have a say.
Less than one month ago, several former government ministers and jihadi figures made a similar show of strength, criticizing the government in regard to Afghanistan’s current political and security situation.
At the time, Abdurab Rasool Sayaf, a prominent jihadi figure who enjoys significant support in Kabul, demanded drastic government reform.
Up until this point, Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has preferred to appoint young technocrats to his cabinet rather than individuals of a jihadi orientation.
