KABUL: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s rival Abdullah Abdullah said on Friday they were nearing a settlement to end divisions which have sent the country into political freefall.
The two men have been at loggerheads since a presidential election in September, with Abdullah rejecting the eventual result, declaring himself the winner and announcing the formation of his own government to run in parallel to Ghani’s.
A US peace deal brokered with the Taliban and signed in late February was expected to clear the way for intra-Afghan negotiations, but Ghani and Abdullah have been unable to reach an agreement.
In a series of tweets, however, Abdullah said that work was underway to finalize a settlement between him and the president.
“Glad to assure the people of Afghanistan that efforts by respected national personalities to resolve the political crisis have borne fruit. We have made progress in negotiations and reached tentative agreement on a range of principles. Work on details is underway to finalize the agreement,” he wrote, adding that both sides hoped it would be ready soon so that they could “pay undivided attention” to tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.
He gave no further details, but reports suggest he would become Afghanistan's “executive prime minister” — a role similar to the one he has played since 2014.
The two leaders have been sharing power — Ghani as president and Abdullah as chief executive — following a deal brokered by Washington after previously disputed elections in 2014.
There was no immediate comment from Ghani’s camp regarding Abdullah’s tweets.
The tentative agreement comes as Afghanistan fights on two fronts - the global health emergency and an escalation in Taliban attacks.
According to the IMF, Afghanistan faces mounting problems as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, with the country’s economy expected to contract sharply this year, “threatening the livelihood of a significant segment of the population.”
On Thursday Ministry of Finance spokesman Shamrooz Khan Masjidi told Arab News that $540 million in grants and interest-free loans from international financial institutions to bolster the country's pandemic response.
