As Taliban make gains, Afghan politicians bicker in Kabul

The rift between President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah has attracted criticism from political parties, business leaders and ordinary Afghans as a September deadline for political and constitutional reform looms.

“The worse-case scenario is political gridlock that could take on different forms, leading to unintended consequences in the fight against terror, economic well-being and social cohesion,” said Omar Samad, a former ambassador to Canada and France and previously a senior adviser to Abdullah.

Ghani has so far failed to hold a loya jirga, a traditional national assembly of elders and politicians, to amend the Constitution and create the position of prime minister for Abdullah, Samad said.

Other outstanding issues include reforming the electoral system, holding parliamentary and district elections and issuing digital national ID cards, he said.