RASC News Agency: Ahmad Massoud, leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, emphasized the necessity of holding elections and establishing a government grounded in the will of the country’s citizens during the fourth Vienna conference. This conference, held on Monday, June 24, saw Massoud state that if the Taliban accept elections and gain legitimacy from the people, their opponents will submit to the citizens’ will.
Addressing the conference participants, Massoud said, “We should not make decisions on behalf of the people. Instead, let’s reach a broad consensus here, strengthen our unity and coherence in this process, gather the most opponents, and move towards a direction where people have the right to choose.” The leader of the National Resistance Front stressed that the participants must seize this opportunity seriously to avoid missing such a crucial chance in the future.
He further asserted that the Taliban do not belong to a specific ethnic group or language, and currently, all Afghanistani citizens, regardless of their differences, have lost their freedoms. Ahmad Massoud described the fall of Afghanistan as a “larger story and a political game of the world and the region,” emphasizing the need for unity among the Taliban’s opponents. These remarks come at a time when the Taliban reject any negotiations over holding elections or forming an inclusive government, claiming they represent the core of Afghanistan society.
The ongoing three-day Vienna conference brings together Afghanistan’s political and military factions, parties, civil society, and human rights activists to focus on practical mechanisms to transition the country from its current state to a democratic future.
