Recently the Independent Election Commission (IEC) announced the date on which the next presidential election would be held. It is the 5th of April, 2014. The date is important but more important is IEC's call on insurgents groups to participate in the next election.

Last week, Fazel Ahmad Manawe, IEC Chief said, "We are even prepared to pave the ground for the armed opposition, be it the Taliban or Hezb e Islami, to participate in the election, either as voters or candidates." The call is more like President Hamid Karzai's repeated statement in which he urges the Taliban to renounce violence, accept the constitution of Afghanistan and join the normal Afghan society – something towards which Taliban have never shown any sort of willingness so far.

Insurgents groups lack independency and are unable to make decisions on their own. They are tied to various countries that finance, protect and in return control them. One should never expect a straightforward decision or even a consistent stance, except on continuing violence, from insurgent groups such as Taliban and Hezb e Islami. An example of inconsistency in Hezbi e Islami's stance became public recently.

On 4th November, a local news channel reported that Hezbi e Islami is ready to participate in the upcoming presidential election. The channel interviewed Ghairat Baheer, political adviser to Hezb e Islami and quoted him as saying, "Hizb e Islami accepts an elected government.

We have strong commitments and beliefs in the elections within our own party. We will participate in the upcoming presidential election, if it is transparent and fair." On the same day, Baheer told Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) that media reports about Hezb e Islami's willingness to participate in the next elections are baseless. "Hezb e Islami Afghanistan believes in elections, but so far we have not made any decision whether to take part in the elections or not," Dr. Baheer said.

Hezb e Islami has shown willingness, for multiple times, to talk peace with the government of Afghanistan but at each time it has retreated from its stance. The two contradictory stances of Hezb e Islami, on whether it is taking part in the presidential election, clearly signals that it is not an independent party as it claims to be.

Same is the case with Taliban. It is difficult to see at the time being that the insurgents groups are going to take part in the next presidential election or they will negotiate to resolve the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan until and unless the Afghan government is able to have a comprehensive process of reconciliation with them.