Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said on Saturday that his government was ready to discuss holding fresh elections, in a bid to advance peace talks with the Taliban.
Addressing lawmakers in parliament, Ghani insisted that any new government should emerge through democratic process.
“Transfer of power through elections is a non-negotiable principle for us,” Ghani said at the inauguration of parliament session in Kabul.
“We stand ready to discuss holding free, fair and inclusive elections under the auspices of international community. We can also talk about the date of the elections and reach a conclusion.”
The remarks come after US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, during his recent visit to Kabul, floated the idea of establishing a transitional government after bringing Afghan elites and Taliban leaders together for a multilateral conference.
“I advise those who go to this or that gate to gain power is that political power in Afghanistan has a gate, and the key is the vote of the Afghan people,” he said.
“Any institution can write a fantasy on a piece of paper and suggest a solution for Afghanistan. These papers have been written in the past and will be written in the future. Our guarantee is our constitution.”
