Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Afghanistan: Chaos in the Loya Jirga Tent During Massoud Day

Chaos erupted in the Loya Jirga tent on Tuesday during the 13th anniversary of the martyrdom of Ahmad Shah Massoud, the national hero and Northern Alliance commander.
Disorder in the tent accelerated after Hazrat Sebghatullah Mujadidi, Jihadi leader and former head of the Senate, took stage. Mujadidi, who has endorsed presidential candidate Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, left the stage, without delivering a speech as disorder prevailed.
Just seconds after presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah took stage, reminding the public to honor Massoud's martyrdom and not mix it with election politics. This is while Abdullah had stressed on the issue at a press conference in Kabul on Monday also.
"As I said yesterday, we must not dishonor today by mixing it with politics," Abdullah stressed in attempts to calm the audience.
The commemoration event was attended by President Hamid Karzai, the two presidential candidates and other prominent political figures like Mujadidi, Abdul Rab Rasoul Sayyaf and Younus Qanooni.
In his speech about Massoud, Karzai emphasized that the electoral deadlock should be resolved as soon as possible, urging the presidential candidates to conclude their agreements.
"Our time is over. It is time for the new government, as soon as possible, preferably, today even."
As negotiations between the presidential candidates reach no conclusive ends, it remains unclear how the politics in the country would unwind in the next few days.
Ahmad Shah Massoud was assassinated by two Al Qaeda men posing as journalists two days before the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The suicide bombers had spent 15 days in northern Afghanistan before they were able to meet Massoud at Khvajeh Baha od Din district of northern Takhar province.

No comments: