The signed copy of the agreement was posted on Dr Abdullah’s Facebook page on 18 May 2020.
AAN’s working translation of the political agreement between Ghani and Abdullah
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Political Agreement
In order to meet the expectation of the people of Afghanistan, support defence and security forces, respect the continued and helpful efforts by national personalities and international community for resolving the political crisis resulting from the election in the country, to find a solution to end the political disputes, and respecting the difference of opinions of the country’s political leaders in this respect, realising that a continuation of the current political situation is not in the interests of the country and the people of Afghanistan and to get out of the impasse, the following themes were agreed:
- Supreme State Council (Shura-ye ‘Ali-ye Dawlat)
- In order to build political consensus, a Supreme State Council comprising political leaders and national personalities shall be established.
- The Council shall advise the country’s president on crucial national issues.
- Members of the Supreme State Council shall be given special government protocol and necessary security measures shall be provided for them.
- Chairmanship of High Council for National Reconciliation (Maqam-e Riasat-e Shura-ye ‘Ali-ye Mosaleha-ye Melli)
1. Rasmiyat (Official basis) and establishment
Upon signing of this document:
- The High Council for National Reconciliation shall be established based on the political agreement between the sides.
- Honorable Dr Abdullah Abdullah as the Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation shall lead the peace process.
- The chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation shall have five deputies; the running-mates of [Abdullah’s electoral] Stability and Integration team shall serve as deputies of the Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation; other deputies of the High Council for National Reconciliation shall be introduced in consultation with the president.
- The Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation shall form this council in consultation with the president, political sides and leaders, the speakers of the two houses of the National Assembly, civil society and the country’s elites.
- The office of the High Council for National Reconciliation shall be based in Sapidar palace.
2. Authorities:
The Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation shall have the following authorities:
- Leading the national peace process affairs;
- Leading meetings of the High Council for National Reconciliation;
- Appointing officials and executive and administrative employees, including mansubin (officials) of the State Ministry for Peace.
3. Authorities of the High Council for National Reconciliation:
- The High Council for National Reconciliation shall verify, approve and lead the affairs related to peace process.
- The decisions and approvals of the High Council for National Reconciliation shall be taken based on majority votes taking the country’s national exigencies [interests] into account.
- The decisions and approvals of the High Council for National Reconciliation shall be final and binding to be implemented in the light of the country’s constitution.
- The negotiation team shall serve under the guidance of the leadership committee of the High Council for National Reconciliation, act in accordance with its approvals and guidelines, and report to the chairman and the High Council for National Reconciliation.
The president of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan shall call consultative meetings of the High Council for National Reconciliation if needed.
4. Duties of the High Council for National Reconciliation
- Build national, regional and international consensus on peace affairs;
- Attract international aid and support for better advancement of peace affairs;
- Attract international aid for the reconstruction after establishment of peace;
5. Protocol:
- In all relevant ceremonies, the country’s second highest-ranking position in terms of security measures and protocol shall be considered for the Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation.
- The deputies introduced by and senior advisor of the Chairman of High Council for National Reconciliation shall have government protocol, security and formalities.
6. Budget
- The High Council for National Reconciliation shall be an independent budgetary unit.
- The budget of the High Council for National Reconciliation shall be financed by the government of Afghanistan.
- The High Council for National Reconciliation shall receive funding from international [donor] authorities for better advancement of peace affairs.
- The execution of budget expenditure shall be in the full authority of the Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation and shall not be exempted from bar-rasi [government auditing].
7. Structure of the High Council for National Reconciliation:
- The High Council for National Reconciliation shall be comprised of political leaders, national personalities, representatives of the National Assembly, representatives of different political and social strata, civil society, women and youths.
- The High Council for National Reconciliation shall have two sections: 1) the general assembly and 2) the leadership committee. Authorities and duties of both sections shall be regulated in the internal procedures of the council.
- The leadership committee of the High Council for National Reconciliation shall be comprised of the political leaders and national personalities.
- In addition to other members of the leadership committee, the authorised representative of the president shall also participate in leadership [committee]’s meetings as a member.
- The High Council for National Reconciliation shall have the necessary executive structure. The negotiation team and the state ministry for peace as the secretariat shall also be part of the structure of the High Council for National Reconciliation.
- If needed, the structure of the High Council for National Reconciliation shall be increased in consultation with the president.
- Appreciation of previous leaders of the peace process:
The efforts of Shahid-e Rah-e Solh (the martyr on the path of peace) honorable Ustad Borhanuddin Rabbani, honorable Salahuddin Rabbani, honorable late Pir Sayed Ahmad Gailani and especially honorable Ustad Muhammad Karim Khalili, for their indefatigable and sincere efforts at achieving peace, shall be appreciated.
- Participation in the government:
- General Abdul Rashid Dostum, former vice-president, shall be promoted to rank of marshal through a presidential decree; at the same time, he shall be a member of the Supreme State Council and National Security Council.
- Introducing 50 per cent of cabinet [posts], including for key ministries.
- Provincial governors shall be introduced based on a rule agreed by the two sides.
- The candidates shall be introduced upon verification of qualification and legal requirements.
- Change, replacement and dismissal shall take place with justified reasons.
- In case of dismissal, change or replacement, the new candidate upon verification of qualification and legal requirements shall be introduced by the introducing authority [the authority that had introduced candidates for the same positions previously].
- Reform:
- Paving ground for [holding] provincial and district council elections as soon as possible in order to complete the membership of a Loya Jirga;
- Holding elections for mayors as soon as possible in order to implement legal provisions [unspecified] and improve city affairs;
- Appointing a commission to draft amendments to the constitution in order to change the government’s structure after holding district council elections;
- Electoral reform, including legal, technical and cadre reforms, including standard use of biometric [voting system], shall be undertaken as soon as possible. The reform should be carried out to change the electoral system considering the discussion on MDR or other alternatives in agreement with experts and the constitution;
- Amendment to the political in accordance with the electoral reform;
- In order to create administrative facilities per the people’s demand, administrative requirements and government structure, new local administrations shall be established.
- Oversight and implementation mechanism
- Based on agreement of the sides, an oversight and mediation commission comprised of six national and political elders of the country shall be formed.
- Based on this agreement, the mediation commission shall be authorised to prevent violation of the agreement.
- UN representatives may attend the signing ceremony of this agreement as observer.
- A joint technical team with equal number of [members] from the two sides shall be established to identify instances of violation of the agreement.
- In case of violation and breach of the agreement, the technical team shall try to prevent the violation of the agreement through understanding; if the effort of the joint technical team does not produce any result, the representative of the side affected by the [reported] violation of the agreement shall officially refer the issue to the mediation commission.
- The decision of the oversight and mediation commission about the disputed issue shall be communicated to the president and the chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation.
The political agreement shall be valid till the end of the government’s term.
Dr Muhammad Ashraf Ghani Dr Abdullah Abdullah
President of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Chairman of High Council for
National Reconciliation
Date: 28 Saur 1399 (17 May 2020)
Venue: Delgosha Palace, Presidential Palace, Kabul, Afghanistan
Revisions:
This article was last updated on 20 May 2020
