Solidarity Party of Afghanistan
 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (March 2014) |
Solidarity Party of Afghanistan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Hafiz Rasikh[1] |
| Founded | 17 April 2004 |
| Headquarters | Kabul |
| Membership | 30,000 (approx.) |
| Ideology | Secularism Social democracy Women's rights Democratic reform Anti-Imperialism Left-wing nationalism |
| Political position | Left-wing |
| Seats in the House of the People | 0 / 249
|
| Seats in the House of Elders | 1 / 102
|
| Website | |
| hambastagi.org | |
The Solidarity Party of Afghanistan (Persian: حزب همبستگی افغانستان) (SPA) is a small, left-wing political party in Afghanistan.[2] The party platform focuses on four main issues: secularism, women's rights, democracy, and opposition to the US/NATO presence in Afghanistan.[3] The party is strongly critical of the Afghan government, which it views as corrupt, fundamentalist, and dominated by warlords.[3] The party claims a membership of some 30,000.[3]
History
The party boycotted the 2005 and 2010 parliamentary elections, and has one senator in the House of Elders.[2]
The party was suspended in June 2012 following a Kabul demonstration in late April 2012 where the party accused a number of Afghan leaders, including former leaders and commanders, of committing war crimes over the last three decades of conflict, and demanded they be brought to justice.[2]
The SPA boycotted the 2004, 2009, and 2014 Afghan Presidential elections as the party alleges that an individual cannot be elected without the approval of the US government.[3] The party does, however, take part in provincial elections as it believes these elections to be more democratic and harder for central government to control or rig.[3] No SPA members ran in the 2013 provincial elections, although the party did support certain candidates.[3]
References
- ^ http://online.wsj.com/articles/islamic-states-siege-of-kobani-syria-sparks-protest-in-kabul-1413129298
- ^ a b c "Afghanistan suspends political party sparking fears over freedom of speech | World news". The Guardian. Retrieved 2014-03-08.
- ^ a b c d e f "Interview with Hafiz Rasikh, member of Solidarity Party of Afghanistan, on upcoming elections". Solidarity Party of Afghanistan/Osservatorio Afghanistan. 10 February 2014.