KABUL (Pajhwok): Shaida Mohammad Abdali, a would-be presidential candidate and former ambassador to India, has said Loya Jirga preserved the authority to decide the fate of Chief Executive Office (CEO) and consider the third vice president.
During an exclusive interview with Pajhwok Afghan News on Tuesday, Abdali said consultation with political forces, alliances, civil society activists and tribal elders regarding upcoming presidential elections was underway.
Abdali who served as Afghanistan’s ambassador to India for six and half years, said he returned to the country following the frequent demands of the people of Kandahar.
He said, he was asked to resign from the ambassadorial job 18-month back but it was difficult for him to quit. 
He, however, said the persistent demands of the people of Loy Kandahar and elders from other parts of the county to return to the country and launch political efforts for peace and national unity forced him to resign as the country’s envoy to India.
He said the people of Loy Kandahar during a special gathering asked him to contest the presidential elections.
“This time I accepted their demand by resigning from the ambassadorial post, returned to the country and launch consultation for strengthening the nascent peace process and national unity in the country,” he said.
Abdali said he held meetings in Kandahar and Kabul and the process of consultation was underway and would take the final decision at the end.
When asked about constitutional matters, Abdali said the Loya Jirga would decide about the CEO and third vice president.
Suggestions regarding the CEO and third vice president post should be brought by the new government to the Loy Jirga where the people of Afghanistan would decide about it, he believed.
 Referring to the postponement of presidential elections, he said if it happened for the sake of real peace efforts he would support the delay.
“When comparing peace with presidential elections so peace is the primary condition, but if true peace is the target the presidential polls can be delayed,” he said.
He stressed the reasons behind delaying the presidential polls should be explained to the people.