Presidential candidate Abdul Latif Pedram has suggested that it would be better for the country to reach to some kind of peace agreement with the Taliban ahead of moving towards the presidential elections scheduled for July 20.

If elections are held before a breakthrough in the peace process, then the establishment of an interim administration is likely, said Pedram, who is a major critic of the centralized political system and in the past has rallied for the establishment of a federal system in the country.

“Serious efforts are underway,” Pedram told TOLOnews. “If peace does not come, the elections will be held, but its consequences will be war and the war will continue and the armed factions of the Taliban will remain on their trench.”

Pedram, who is also chairman of the National Congress Party of Afghanistan, warned that holding Afghanistan’s presidential elections before reaching to a kind of conclusion with the Taliban will not help to end the ongoing conflict in the country and that such an approach will add to the plight of the Afghans, which is war and bloodshed.

“It depends on the negotiations that what kind of preconditions the Taliban brings. So there are two ways: First, they [Taliban] should say that they will come in a specific time and will contest in the elections alongside the government after the agreement or they say that no they are not ready to take part in the elections under the leadership of the government or under the leadership of the commission which has been appointed in their absence because they do not have faith in the commissions and institutions [which the Afghan government has established]. In that case, the issue of an interim government or something similar to that will be confirmed,” said explained.

Pedram is a historian, poet, professor of Persian Literature. He has served as member of the Afghan parliament, representing the northeastern province of Badakhshan.

Pedram has so far wrote 13 books. He has obtained a master’s degree in Islamic studies from France.

According to Pedram, his wife has been one of his main supporters for his political and cultural activities.

“My wife has played a key role in my political activities,” Pedram reiterated. “No doubt, she has been equal to me and even more than me when it comes to my political activities I had over the years. She has helped both in terms of planning and suggestions and major programs we had.”

Pedram was the first presidential candidate to submit his documents to the Independent Election Commission. Ehsanullah Haidari and Mohammad Sadiq Wardak are his running mates.

“We will fight to establish a federal system in Afghanistan,” Pedram said. “This is my basic plan and later on establish better relations with regional countries, especially Pakistan. We do not have border issues with Pakistan; therefore, we should create the best relations with them.”

One members of Afghanistan’s National Congress Party, Qadeer Samani, said Pedram fights for the rights of all ethnic groups in Afghanistan.

“His ideology is completely human-oriented and that ideology is establishment of a federal system and the establishment of a humanitarian system in Afghanistan which covers all ethnicities of the country, including the Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, Aimaqs, Uzbeks, Turkmens and rest of the people who live in Afghanistan,” Samani said.  

“He [Pedram] is fighting for them and wants to be the supporter of the poor and vulnerable people in Afghanistan,” he added.