Volume No. 4094 Monday February 04, 2019 Dalw 15, 1397 www.outlookafghanistan.net Price: 20/-Afs

Quote of the Day

When you have a dream, you’ve got to grab it

and never let go.Carol Burnett

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Dream

The president reacted during a ceremony tohonor freed commandos who had been in a Taliban prison.

KABUL - A number of political parties on Sunday said that the government should consult with them before taking any reforma-tive actions against the Independ-ent Election Commission (IEC).Chief Executive Abdullah Abdul-lah who has registered himself as a presidential candidate for July elections, last month, had stressed that the government would bring reforms in the IEC.However, some political parties warned that without their consul-tations they would not accept any kind of reforms in IEC.“We have not been consulted that which areas need to be reformed,” said Asadullah Sa’adati, who is a member of Wahdat-i-Islami party and running for second vice pres-idency in elections.“Any kind of reforms without our consultation would be in fa-vor of a particular group,” said Abdullah Qarloq, a member of Junbish-e-Milli party.However, Mohammad Hedayat, an advisor of Second Vice Presi-dent Sarwar Danish said that soon reforms will be brought in regulations, structure and figures of the electoral commissions.“Reform work is underway and there is a clear consensus for bringing reforms,” he said.It comes as the international com-munity has set electoral reforms as a condition ...(More on P4)...(3)

PUL-I-ALAM - Women’s affairs officials report a 30 percent in-crease in incidents of violence against women in central Logar province this solar year com-pared to the previous year due to lawlessness.Shima Zargar, Logar women’s affairs director, told Pajhwok Af-ghan News that despite conduct-ing many public awareness pro-grams, violence against women increased in Logar.She said 70 cases of violence against females were registered in Logar last year, compared to 100 cases this ongoing solar year.“These cases include suicide, beating, divorce, eloping, forced marriages and Baad marriages for settling disputes,” she said. “The lack of law enforcement and women’s ...(More on P4)...(5)

‘Unilateral’ Reformative Actions Against IEC Not Acceptable: Political Parties

Logar Records 30pc Increase in Violence Against Women

Ghani Reacts to Taliban Remarks on ‘No Army Needed’

KABUL - The US could leave Afghanistan in exchange for the Taliban joining govern-ment and ensuring the country will not be used by armed groups, but achieving peace will be far more complicated.

Afghanistan Peace ‘Not Going to be an Easy Process’

Afghan Politicians Will Defend ‘National Values’ at Moscow Talks

The draft agreement between the US and Taliban may be a significant step towards peace, but the Afghan government, with whom the Taliban have refused to negotiate, have dis-

missed the notion that the Taliban will play a larger role in politics.A Taliban spokesman has said that it wants a different type of government, one operating un-der Islamic principles and not the current democratic system estab-lished in 2001.Further complicating matters, Af-ghan President Ashraf Ghani has cast doubt on Pakistan’s commit-ment to ending the war and has often accused the neighbouring state of providing sanctuaries to Taliban fighters.Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra reports on a potential peace deal that could change everything for a country that’s been at war for decades. (Aljazeera)

MOSCOW - As the debate around peace talks in Moscow gathers momentum, Afghan del-egates who plan to attend the summit said in a joint statement that they will “defend” national and democratic values at the meet-ing later this week.Afghan politicians that will attend the talks include former president Hamid Karzai, former vice president Mohammad Yunus Qanuni, former Balkh governor and Jamiat-e-Islami member Atta Mohammad Noor, Jamiat-e-Islami member Mohammad Ismail Khan, second deputy chief executive and Wahday party member Mohammad Mo-haqiq, head of National Islamic Front of Afghanistan Sayed Hamid Gailani, former member of Taliban Abdul Salam Zaeef, Za-bihullah Mujaddedi, son of former president Sebghatullah Mujaddedi, and Zia Massoud, Jamiat member and President Ashraf Gha-

ni’s former special envoy on reforms.Sources close to the Taliban said a delegation from their group, led by Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, former head of Taliban’s Qatar office, will

KABUL - The National Unity Government leaders are working on amendment of the election law to bring changes in election commissions’ formation and provide the ground for further reforms in the electoral bodies, an advisor to Second Vice Presi-dent, Mohammad Hedayat, said.Hedayat said President Ashraf Ghani will issue a legislative decree in the near future to approve the outline for amendment of election law.The amendments, the official said, will include changes in leadership of the election commissions as well as procedures of the electoral bodies.“Reforms include all these sections. Changes will happen in employees of the commissions, struc-ture of the commissions and the elections rules and procedures,” said Hedayat. The issue around amendment of election law was raised by President Ghani as he addressed a gath-ering of almost 2,500 people in Kabul on Jan. 30, where he said he wants the presidential elections results to be announced through a transparent process within two days of votes being cast.Ghani said that the “people no longer trust the election commissions and that widespread re-forms are required in the electoral bodies.” He said the election law will be amended – to facili-tate further ...(More on P4)...(2)

KABUL - The UN International Children’s Emer-gency Fund (UNICEF) Afghanistan in Sunday launched its Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) 2019 appeal, highlighting a total of 6.3 mil-lion people in dire need of support, including 3.8 million children. The UN agency appealed for $50 million to pro-vide much-needed lifesaving support to more than 570,000 children with basic health and nutri-tion packages, water, sanitation and hygiene, edu-cation and protection. “Despite efforts being made, children continue to bear the brunt of conflict; adverse climatic condi-tions including one of the worst droughts in years; a harsh winter; unprecedented levels of food inse-curity and fragile social systems amongst others,” UNICEF Afghanistan representative said.In a statement from UNICEF, Adele Khodr said: “Some 3 out of 10 children are experiencing psy-chosocial distress, ...(More on P4)...(4)

Govt Eyes Amending Election Law

UNICEF Seeks $50mnfor Emergency Assistance

Programme

KABUL - President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday said that those forcing people to hold peace talks must avoid discuss-ing the issue of dissolving the country’s army. He said: “Those who are forcefully bringing others to negotiate must not talk about dissolving our “lions” (army); if they are so brave, then they must come and fight on the battlefield instead of carrying out suicide (attacks)

and explosions,” Ghani said.Ghani had been referring to a video is-sued by a senior Taliban member, and former head of the Qatar office, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai. Stanikzai had been discussing the Doha talks between the Taliban and the Unit-ed States. In the video, Stanikzai said once the US forces have withdrawn from Afghani-stan, there would be no need for an

army in Afghanistan. In response, Ghani said at an event to honor commandos, after they were freed last week from a Taliban prison, that the country’s security forces are improving and getting stronger and will eventually be able to work without foreign assistance. He said however they would never ac-cept a peace agreement that’s not sus-tainable. ...(More on P4)...(1)

also attend the Moscow talks.Sunday’s statement, which was sent to the media by Karzai’s office, calls the meeting an “intra-Afghan peace dialogue” initiated by the Council of Afghans Society in Russia.The statement says the talks hold “special importance” and is “the first step towards an intra-Afghan dialogue”.According to the statement, the delegation will attend the meeting while “having a deep feeling about their historical obligation” at a juncture where “the people of Afghanistan are desperately waiting for tangible improve-ments in the peace talks”.The statement says the delegation’s main stance will be to defend achievements and safeguard an Islamic Republic system, na-tional institutions, security and defense insti-tutions....(More on P4)...(6)