4 January 19, 2019

(1) Sima Samar... ences learned from the parliamen- proach to be taking. … We should result of poor leadership of our for- cies towards from his tary elections can help improve the try to have every type of respect- mer leaders in the government, we campaign era to the announcement The Board is expected to allow the presidential election.” ful dialogue that we possibly can. feel a vacuum in the country.” of the new strategy on South Asia United Nations to work more effec- To a answer about US envoy for rec- Where I come from in West Virgin- He hoped his team, ‘Peace, Law and and Afghanistan, as well as to the tively with Member States, regional onciliation in Afghanistan Zalmay ia, we just don’t act this way.” Prosperity’ would be able to fill the recent announcement on a possible organizations, non-governmental Khalilzad’s efforts for peace talks, Lawmakers of both parties are current vacuum and end all types withdrawal of almost half of US groups and others involved in he said he believed only Khalil- wary of the shutdown’s impact on of tribal discrimination and depen- troops from the country. the area of mediation around the zad’s efforts would not succeed their home states and constituen- dency on foreigners and eventu- James Dobbins, a senior fellow at world. as peace-related issues must start cies. Georgia Republican Sen. John- ally make Afghanistan a developed RAND, and US special envoy for From 2005 to 2009, Samar was the from within and a large national ny Isakson told the Atlanta Journal- country. Afghanistan in 2001 and 2002, is United Nations Special Rapporteur consensus consisting of various in- Constitution newspaper he fears a About transparency of the July 20 among the writers of this research. on the situation of human rights in ternal groups should be formed. lack of Transportation Security Ad- presidential election, Hakimi said, The research says drawing down Sudan. Earlier, Dr. Zalmai Rassoul, with ministration airport screeners will “There are problems in the elec- military and civilian personnel will She has overseen the expansion of the slogan “national unity, justice, make it impossible for travelers to toral regime, we observed the par- limit accountability for the use of human rights education, the imple- security, peace, moderation and come for next month’s American liamentary elections, hoping seri- aid funds, increase corrupt diver- mentation of a women’s rights pro- equality,” Abdul Latif Pedram, football Super Bowl. ous reforms would come. Without sions and result in legislatively re- gram, and the monitoring and in- with the slogan “freedom, justice “We’ve got a Super Bowl coming reforms, the presidential elections quired cutbacks. vestigation of human rights abuses and security”; Mohammad Hakim to Atlanta in about three weeks, the are impossible or we await another The research suggests that the Af- across Afghanistan. Thorsan, with the slogan “We act, biggest tourism event in the world worse poll.” ghan government will continue to Samar was the Vice Chair of the do not chant’; Seyyed Noorollah this year,” Isakson said. “What if He opined the IEC should learn weaken in the case of the US troops Emergency Loya Jirga, a role that Jalili; and Inayatullah Hafez have the largest airport in the world, from past mistakes and problems withdrawal from Afghanistan. brought her political and nego- nominated for the presidential elec- that’s going to bring people to the happened in the parliamentary The research shows the following tiating skills to the fore, and the tion. largest football game in the world, elections and should not repeat consequences are likely: first Deputy Chair and Minister of According to the IEC, the candidate goes out of business because the them in the presidential election. • Other North Atlantic Treaty Women’s Affairs in the Interim Ad- registration process would contin- TSA strikes? Then you’ve just cost About the ongoing peace process, Organization (NATO) forces also ministration of Afghanistan. ue until Jan 20 and there is no plan millions of dollars to the United he appreciated the efforts of US leave. She founded the Shuhada Organi- to extend this process. States of America, my home city of special envoy Zalmai Khalilzad and • US and other international civil- zation, which operates 55 schools in A presidential candidate should be Atlanta and others.” said peace should be established in ian presence is sharply reduced. Afghanistan as well as three schools a Muslim, Afghan citizen, having Trump has called for more than $5 the country by any possible way. • External economic and security for Afghan refugees in Quetta, Pak- completed the age of 40 and should billion in taxpayer funding for the “The war has affected our all politi- assistance diminished. istan. present 100,000 supporters and pay wall, while Democrats have offered cal, development, economic and so- • The government in begins Juan Gabriel Valdés was Foreign a million afghanis to the commis- $1.3 billion in new money for bor- cial sectors”. to lose influence and legitimacy. Minister of Chile, former Perma- sion based on the electoral law. (Pa- der security, but none specifically Earlier, Dr. Zalmai Rassoul, with • Power moves from the center to nent Representative to the United jhwok) for a wall. (VoA) the slogan “national unity, justice, the periphery. Nations in New York and, most re- security, peace, moderation and • Responsibility for security in- cently, Ambassador to the United (4) Trump Cancels... (5) ‘Fraud Increased... equality,” Abdul Latif Pedram, creasingly devolves to regional mi- States. (Tolo news) The back-and-forth between the cast by each ethnic group (Pashtun, with the slogan “freedom, justice litias and local warlords. White House and the speaker of Tajik, Hazara and Uzbek). (2) Govt’s Peace... and security”; Mohammad Hakim • Regional states back rival claim- the House meant there is no end in Tomas Johnson, the report au- Atmar also talked about the ongo- Thorsan, with the slogan “We act, ants to national power. sight for a partial federal govern- thor, also attended the conference ing international efforts to achieve do not chant’; Seyyed Noorollah • The loses interest in ment shutdown, which will soon through Skype and said the report peace in Afghanistan and said con- Jalili; Inayatullah Hafez and Fara- negotiating peace with the United enter its fifth week. The shutdown was prepared based on facts, eye- cerns about the process existed. marz Tamanna have nominated for States. was triggered by a standoff be- witness accounts with fully impar- He said the current government’s the presidential election. • The Taliban extends its control tween Democrats and Republicans tially. peace policy was not reliable and According to the IEC, the candidate over territory and population but over funding for construction of a He said he obtained the results of decisions in this regard were not registration process would contin- encounters resistance. wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. the second round of the 2014 presi- taken independently. ue until Jan 20 and there is no plan • Afghanistan descends into a “While many Democrats in the dential elections lately and that was He said the government had adopt- to extend this process. (Pajhwok) wider civil war. House and Senate would like to the reason the report was also pub- ed a peace policy which was in con- • Civilian deaths rise sharply and make a deal, Speaker Pelosi won’t lished late. (7) Khalilzad Assured... flict with the demands and wishes refugee flows increase. let them negotiate,” Trump said Daud Ali Najafi, former IEC secre- General Bajwa reiterated that peace of the nation. • Extremist groups, including Al in a speech at the Defense Depart- tary who was present at the confer- in Afghanistan was important for He said he would work decisively Qaeda and Daesh, gain additional ment. “Hopefully, Democrat law- ence, called the report as ‘profes- Pakistan and assured continued ef- for peace and the countrymen could scope to organize, recruit and initi- makers will step forward to do sionally written’ and said the report forts for bringing peace and stabil- not afford to see the bloodshed for ate terrorist attacks against US re- what is right for our country, and pointed to all sides in the elections. ity in the region. another five years. gional and homeland targets. (Tolo what’s right for our country is bor- “The list of voters for the next Lisa Curtis, Deputy Assistant to About his electoral team, he said news) der security at the strongest level.” presidential elections should be US President and senior director their ticket’s main objective was to Criticism for Trump prepared one month ahead of the for South and Central Asia and US (12) Turkish Aid... rid Afghanistan of the current gov- Democrats insist they will negoti- Election Day and a census process charge d’affaires to Pakistan were and Turkish Foreign Ministry rep- ernment and crises. ate stronger, more effective border should be launched, if we have ac- also present. (Pajhwok) resentative Nuruddin Rahmani. Atmar said Afghanistan faced four security measures once the gov- curate number of population, then The raging Afghan conflict is in its major threats – the imposed war, (8) Investors Hopeful... ernment reopens, but that a border there is no need to transfer more bloody 18th year, with thousands international rivalries, instability “Most of the applicants are current- wall would be wasteful, ineffective ballot papers to polling stations,” of lives lost and millions of people in the region, poverty and depri- ly from Herat province, in the other and a blight on America’s image. he said. forced to flee their homes. (AA) vation and the incumbent govern- 11 provinces, investors can each re- Pelosi, the top-ranking congressio- Najafi said elections would be nev- ment’s incompetence. ceive a square meter of land for 50 (13) Art lords Nominated... nal Democrat, said Trump’s “insis- er transparent unless the IEC acted Atmar ruled out change in the gov- AFs,” said Sameer Rasa, head of the tence on the wall is a luxury we can as an independent organization honored at a gala celebration in ernment system but insisted after Public Relations Office of the Senior no longer afford.” and according to the law. London, join Index’s Awards Fel- their victory in the July presidential Advisor. Later Thursday, Trump also can- Mohammad Naim Ayubzada, the lowship program and receive dedi- election, changes would be brought Alongside security threats, lack of celed a planned trip by a U.S. del- Transparent Election Foundation cated training and support. to the Constitution through a loya access to land and lack of electric- egation to the World Economic of Afghanistan (TEFA) head, said “The most focus is on arts and cul- jirga for the sake of improvement in ity are two key challenges which Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The fraud and government’s interfer- ture and on the use of arts as a tool the system. create an obstruction for investors delegation, consisting of Treasury ence in election affairs increased for civic campaigns. Among the He said the post of third deputy and the local business community. Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Secretary with each election while the public nominees there are reporters and president would be created and an (Tolo news) of State Mike Pompeo, Secretary of trust in the polls and the IEC’s inde- artists who have been imprisoned advisory board to be comprised of Commerce Wilbur Ross, U.S. trade pendence declined. (9) Commanders Among... and those who work for freedom of known jihadi faces would be con- representative Robert Lighthizer He criticized the procedure of ap- expression, democracy and human stituted. seven Kalashnikovs, two walkie- and assistant to the president Chris pointing the election commissioners rights,” ArtLords founder, Omaid Atmar’s first deputy presidential talkies, hand grenades, rocket shells Liddell, was scheduled to travel and said, “The Selection Committee Sharifi said. candidate Younas Qanoni also and a number of other weapons next week. of election commission members is ArtLords has been nominated for spoke on the occasion and said they were seized by the NDS personnel White House Press Secretary Sarah not a clear filter because the com- the awards along with attendants named their electoral team as peace in the raid. (Pajhwok) Sanders said the president wanted missioners are chosen based on from Turkey, Azerbaijan and Saudi and they would work to ensure real (10) Pakistan Takes... to make sure “his team can assist political motives, we should not ex- Arabia. peace in the country. as needed” during the government pect reforms in elections until these to severity of the issue, Minister Selected from over 400 public The former Wolesi Jirga speaker shutdown. commissioners pass through this for National Food Security and Re- nominations and a shortlist of 16, said a real peace could come to the Hundreds of thousands of federal filter.” search, Sahibzada Mehbood Sultan the 2019 Freedom of Expression country if internal differences were workers missed a paycheck last He also criticized power concen- and the ministry officials are liais- Awards shortlist exemplifies cour- set aside before making peace with week and are set to miss another tration in the IEC and said, “The ing with the provincial agriculture age in the face of censorship. the insurgents. (Pajhwok) next week. capacity of provincial IEC offices departments in a bid to resolve the ArtLords is a grassroots move- (3) Dr. Tamana... “Not only are these workers not should improve to help limit fraud. issue, the official added. ment of artists and volunteers in afternoon in Kabul, Dr. Farmarz paid, they are not appreciated by All authorities should not be con- Talks are currently underway Afghanistan who encourage ordi- Tamana said: “We (Afghans) have this administration,” said Pelosi, fined only to the central office of the through the Pakistan Embassy in nary citizens, especially women Kabul, he said. (Monitoring Desk) and children, to paint murals on is- a great reputation and honor but who leads the Democratic major- commission.” sues which concern them. ArtLords unfortunately it has not been used ity in the House of Representatives. Pointing to the peace process, he (11) Trump will... said: “The peace process is still completed over 400 murals in 16 for Afghanistan’s development “We should respect what they do The Afghans will have to step up. without fate, this process will prob- provinces of the country. In March over the course of 100 years and the for their country.” “It’s not that we’ll do nothing… ably affect the presidential elections 2018, for International Women’s capacities and potentials are more Criticism for Pelosi we’ll probably still be there longer and may delay the polls.” Day, ArtLords painted a tribute to conducive to the satisfaction of for- Pelosi’s move on the State of the than I would like,” Paul clarified. Ayubzada said the voter registra- Professor Hamida Barmaki, a hu- eigners or mostly engaged in ethnic Union address drew sharp criticism “The president does acknowledge tion process should be based on man rights defender killed in a and domestic issues”. from Senate Republicans. that America’s longest war does biometric system in order to in- terrorist attack six years ago. (Tolo He hoped his electoral team “Af- “By disinviting POTUS for SOTU, need to come to a close.” crease transparency in the presi- news) ghanistan Development and Plan” Pelosi erased any pretext for her un- This comes as a new analysis by dential elections. would fill the gap with specialists willingness to negotiate an end to senior researchers at RAND Cor- (14) 15 Taliban... The presidential elections are and would create a government the shutdown. It is personal, petty, poration, a non-govt organization, between rebels and security forces scheduled for July 20, 2019. Eight that not only care about foreign ties and vindictive,” Sen. John Cornyn highlights the consequences of a in 2nd police district but said it hap- candidates have so far registered but also work for the country’s de- from Texas tweeted Thursday. possible withdrawal of half of Unit- pened in 3rd. their candidacies for the elections. velopment. While many Democratic lawmak- ed States troops from Afghanistan – He said the militants were pushed (Pajhwok) “There are some problems in the ers applauded Pelosi, Sen. Joe Man- who have been engaged in the war back and no side suffered casualties election process, which we also chin of West Virginia told MSNBC, (6) Poor Leadership... for the past 17 years. in the overnight clash. saw in the parliamentary elec- “I think this [delaying the State of history spans over 5,000 years, but The research analyses US President Taliban have not yet commented on tions, but still we hope the experi- the Union address] is the wrong ap- it faced with many bad events as a Donald Trump’s stance and poli- the incidents. (Pajhwok)