A plan to save the country from crisis

In the name of God

Introduction

The ruling clique handed over control of the government to the Taliban on August 15, 2021, as the culmination of a plot which they hatched along with the known circles of foreign collaborators. As a result, the republican system fell apart. This was a giant step backwards for Afghanistan, which turned into hell on earth for its people.

The Taliban takeover unleashed a new wave of targeted violence, domination by a single group and ethnic, religious and political purges. The country’s citizenry, especially women and girls, were deprived of their most basic rights. The constitution and other civil laws in force in the country were suspended. Instead, the Afghan people found their fate in the hands of the Taliban’s summary courts. Moreover, poverty, hunger, unemployment, closure of schools and universities for girls and bans on women from work and social activities, cruel torture, and rampant human rights violations torment the country’s citizens. Meanwhile, Afghanistan has in effect become a safe haven for terrorism and a gathering point for extremists. This poses a threat to Afghanistan and serious challenges for its neighbors, the region and the world.

The National Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan (henceforth NRC) believes that the people of Afghanistan and the world can save Afghanistan from this painful tragedy by creating a collective will and launching sincere political efforts before it is too late and all opportunities for political understanding are lost. This process can protect the lives and safety of the citizens of the countries of the region and the world from reliving the bitter experience of terrorist attacks emanating from Afghanistan.

The NRC is committed to bring an end to the current miserable situation, save the country, and restore sovereignty to the people under a new constitution. It aims to launch a new era in which Afghanistan will be stable, democratic, war and violence-free, pluralistic and tolerant. A plan to achieve this is outlined below. This plan has been prepared in consultation with a range of political groups and personalities.

It addresses the salvation of the country and the welfare of the population and protection of national interests. It provides for the participation of all parties in the future of the country, to achieve stability and sustainable development, and general prosperity. It provides for the restoration of Afghanistan’s positive international role and constructive relations with its neighbors. The NRC takes this opportunity to to extend a cordial invitation to all political parties, organizations and influential personalities, including academics, ulema, women, elders and youths, to unite under a single political umbrella and engage in a collective, coordinated struggle to save the country. It is our historic mission to strive side by side for the restoration of lasting peace and stability, guided by the national religion at this critical moment in the country’s history.

Goals:

1. Ending the war and violence and transitioning from the current unfavourable situation to a favourable situation.
2. Establishing a new Afghanistan free from war and violence, which is pluralistic, democratic, justice-oriented, free from of discrimination and prejudice, guided by a true and moderate interpretation of Islamic values and subject to the rule of law.
3. Converting deadly armed rivalry into healthy political and civil competition through programme focused and lawful political parties
4. Ensuring permanent stability, balanced development and universal prosperity.
5. Adopting a new constitution, which returns sovereignty to the people, by restraining and institutionalizing government power within the framework of a decentralized parliamentary democracy with elected governors, mayors and district governors.
6. Restoring Afghanistan’s position and constructive role in the region and the world by adopting a stance of active neutrality and the principle of mutual respect.

Phases in attainment of the goals:

Phase I: Setting the conditions for talks.

National level

1. Creation of. single umbrella for the main political forces opposed to the Taliban.
2. Agreement on a joint framework for efforts to save the country.
3. Agreement on the road map out of the crisis.

4. Agreement on the future political system of the country, which will guarantee stability, development, prosperity and social justice for all the country’s citizens and ensure that Afghanistan cannot slide back into war and conflict.
5. Establishing a specific address to facilitate communication with all parties.

International level

The United Nations should appoint a competent delegation to initiate and manage the peace process and lay the groundwork for negotiations and take the following steps:

1. Generate create a common understanding of the Afghan crisis and the unfortunate real consequences it has on the people, the region and the world, taking into account the increasing presence of extremist groups in Afghanistan.
2. Establish coordination among the neighbouring countries, the region and the world, based upon restoration of stability in Afghanistan and transforming the country from being a locus of conflicting interests to one of converging interests for the concerned countries. And thus create a collective will to solve the political crisis in Afghanistan.
3. Enlist the support of the Taliban group and the key forces opposed to it for the proposed roadmap.
4. Support the opponents of the Taliban, opening an official office in an appropriate country location, with representative offices in other countries.
5. Select the negotiating teams from the Taliban and their opponents with due consideration to social, gender, linguistic, ethnic, geographic and religious diversity and the active participation of women and youth.
6. Determining the time and the location of the negotiations in a neutral country.

Increasing pressure on the Taliban to negotiate

If the Taliban group refuses to accept the rightful demands of the Afghan people and a political solution and continues to wage war and violence against the people, the following options will be on the table for increasing pressure on the Taliban to accept the national reconciliation process:

National level

1. Systematic strengthening and expansion of national resistance in multiple provinces of the country, as a legitimate option in defence people’s rights and deliverance of the country.
2. Launching a campaign of civic action, mass protests and civil disobedience.
3. Paralyzing the illegitimate administrative machine of the Taliban in the capital and provinces, to protect the country’s suffering people from harm.
4. Supporting moderate Taliban factions and welcoming them into the national reconciliation process.

International level:

1. Continue to Prevent the de jure recognition of the Taliban’s illegitimate rule.
2. Cut off financial aid to the Taliban in such a way that the people of Afghanistan do not suffer.
3. Add warmongers, extremists and those involved with terrorist groups to the UN Security Council sanctions list.
4. Forcing the Taliban group to stop cooperating with foreign terrorists and expel from Afghanistan.
5. Imposing more sanctions on the trips of Taliban leaders abroad.
6. Encouraging the countries that support the Taliban to convince this group to accept the process of national reconciliation.
7. Supporting the Anti-Taliban Governance Groups

Phase II: Commencing peace talks.

Discussion and decision on the following agenda:

1. Discussion and agreement on the formation of a transitional government for a period of two years with specific tasks.
2. Agreement on the structure of the transitional government (the State High Council, the head of State and his deputies, the prime minister and his deputies, the interim cabinet, the president and members of the Supreme Court, the Supreme Council of Islamic Jurisprudence and independent directorates)
3. Agreement on the appointment of candidates to all senior positions mentioned in clause 2 above.
4. Discussion and agreement on a national Salvation plan to save Afghanistan from Further Crisis.
5. Discussion and agreement on how to collect and weapons and military equipment from all irresponsible individuals and groups and hand them over to the security forces.
6. Discussion and agreement on how to rebuild the defence and security forces of the country.
7. Discussion and agreement on how the security forces will ensure the security of the centre and provinces.
8. Discussion and agreement on drafting a new constitution changing the centralized structure to a decentralized parliamentary system with popularly elected governors, mayors, and district governors.
9. Discussion and agreement on the necessary amendments to the election law.
10. Agreement on two supervisory bodies in order to oversee the full implementation of the peace agreement and prevent external interference in internal affairs of Afghanistan.
    1. At the national level: the formation of a commission composed of the negotiating parties under the supervision of the United Nations.
    2. At the international level: creation of an international mechanism (8+2) including the European Union and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation under the supervision of the United Nations Security Council.
11. Agreement on the formation of a commission for the inauguration of the new government.

Phase III: The transitional government

Duties of the transitional government:

1. Full step-by-step implementation of the articles of the peace agreement.
2. Ensuring the security of the centre and provinces of the country.
3. Collecting weapons according to the provisions of the new laws and handing them over to the new defence and security forces of the country.
4. Reconstruction of defence and security forces.
5. Preventing foreign terrorists from entering or staying in the territory of Afghanistan.
6. Formation of the Constitutional Review Commission.
7. Formation of the Electoral Law Review Commission.
8. Drafting and approving the election law.
9. Formation of the Independent Election Commission.
10. Holding the Grand National Assembly/ Loya Jirga in order to ratify the constitution six months before the end of the transitional period.
11. Formation of an independent human rights commission.
12. Forming an independent commission for administrative reforms and the civil service.
13. Launching a population census in cooperation with the United Nations and distributing the new electronic identity card.
14. Managing affairs in line with the principles of modern governance, including transparency, accountability, efficiency, inclusiveness and rule of law with social justice.
15. Pursuit of a balanced approach to regular administration of the country and service delivery to the population.
16. Fighting against administrative corruption, cultivation, production and trafficking of drugs.
17. Preparing a comprehensive programme for balanced development for all regions of the country.
18. Ensuring friendly relations with all neighbouring countries, the region and the world and making optimal use of Afghanistan’s geostrategic position and rich resources, consistent with the national interest and principle of mutual respect
19. Protecting democracy, human rights, freedom of speech, free media, women’s rights, and human dignity. Strengthening civil institutions and supporting the private sector and domestic production.
20. Attracting national and international investors and promoting the legal exploitation of minerals and underground resources of the country to achieve economic self-sufficiency.
21. Holding transparent and universal elections according to the new election law.

Phase IV: The elected government.

The installation of the elected government and commencement of era of building a new Afghanistan

Commitments by the international community and Afghanistan

Afghanistan’s commitments:

1. The commitment based on full implement of the peace agreement.
2. Establishing sound and efficient government institutions which respect the country’s ethnic, religious and gender diversity.
3. Respecting the fundamental rights of citizens, especially women, and seriously fighting corruption, preventing drug cultivation and trafficking.
4. Preventing the presence and entry of people affiliated with terrorist groups into Afghanistan.
5. Strengthening freedom of expression, free media, private sector and civil society institutions.
6. Obligation to comply with international conventions and covenants which Afghanistan has joined.

The international community’s commitments:

1. Broad support for the full implementation of the peace agreement.
2. Establishing a monitoring mechanism (8+2) including the European Union and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, under the supervision of the United Nations Security Council
3. Funding the initial budget of the transitional government, especially for the reconstruction of the defence and security forces, the education sector, development projects and economic infrastructure of the country.

Note:

The details of the National Reconciliation Plan will be completed and presented after the receipt of the opinions and viewpoints of the range of groups, organizations, personalities, political, civil and human rights activists, women, youth and knowledgeable citizens of the country.

May God help us.