Debating Room

Afghans view this year's presidential election as necessary for ensuring a peaceful transfer of power, but worries over the process are abundant.

Afghan lawmakers and experts participating in a recent Radio Free Afghanistan call-in show, "On the Waves of Freedom," said the likelihood of the election moving into a second round because of the crowded presidential field might complicate the process.

Ajmal Hodman, a political commentator, said that the current 11 presidential candidates have dashed Afghan hopes for change. "Unfortunately, eight or nine of the candidates were members of a government that ruled Afghanistan in the past 12 years," he says. "These people are responsible for corruption and waste of resources."

Hodman said a good leader's job is to keep alive the hopes of a better tomorrow among the masses. "We can't see a candidate representing a clear vision or values. They are all individuals who are just seeking power," he said.

Halim Fedai, a former provincial governor, said April's presidential polls offer the hope of the first peaceful transfer of power in Afghan history, but Afghans only have the choice of voting for competing individuals rather than being able to choose between different political visions.

"Due to the lack of strong political parties, most Afghan politicians are focused on individual appeal rather then offering competing visions of a political system," he said.

Fedai and several civil society leaders are working to narrow the presidential field by convincing some candidates to stand down.

Lawmaker Jabar Qahraman criticized Afghan President Hamid Karzai for failing to create a vibrant political culture and robust political institutions.

"Karzai is the architect of the ongoing political game. I have reached the conclusion that the problems are created by the presidential palace because the majority of the presidential candidates have the same vision and programs," Qahraman said. "When I see that he [Karzai] is building a house near the presidential palace, I have doubts about the transparency of the elections and my hopes for a real change fade."

Fawzia Koofi, an outspoken Afghan woman lawmaker, says regulations have made it very difficult for women to run in the presidential election.

One condition that requires each presidential candidate to collect 100,000 signatures from at least 22 Afghan provinces presents Afghan women with an unsurmountable challenge, she said. "This is why we don't have a female candidate for the presidential election."

Koofi added that the large number of presidential candidates is likely to divide Afghan society along tribal, religious and regional lines.

On the positive side, she believes that the presidential election is likely to politicize Afghan society. "In the end it is better to express political will through a ballot rather than a bullet," she said.

One caller, identifying himself as Akhtary, said that strong political parties are a prerequisite for establishing the rule of law. "In the presence of credible political parties in Afghanistan, the government will behave and serve its people more efficiently and responsibly," he said.

"On The Waves of Freedom" is a weekly, two-hour long radio call-in show known for sharp analysis and political commentary. Every Thursday millions of Afghans in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and Tajikistan tune in to the show, which is a flagship program of Radio Free Afghanistan, or Radio Azadi as it is known locally.

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Ten years after it was adopted by an assembly of tribal leaders, Afghanistan's current constitution remains one of the most progressive in the Muslim world but has yet to be fully implemented.

Afghan officials and experts participating in a recent Radio Free Afghanistan call-in show, "On the Waves of Freedom," agreed that weaknesses in the current government and foreign meddling have prevented full implementation of the country's supreme law.

Gul Rahman Qazi, head of the Independent Commission for Overseeing the Implementation of Constitution, said that a lack of peace and escalating violence prevented Kabul from implementing the constitution, which was adopted in 2004 after lengthy deliberations in the Loya Jirga or grand council.

"The lack of political will and transparency among government officials and the failure to explain laws to ordinary Afghans contributed to confusion over the supreme law," he said. "Constant meddling by foreigners in Afghan affairs also complicated the full implementation of the Afghan constitution and other laws."

Lawmaker Zalmai Zabuli, head of the Afghan Senate's Complaints Commission, agreed. He said that interpretations of constitutional provisions varied within the government and resulted in the presidency, the judiciary and the parliament abusing their authority to enhance their powers.

He said that the Afghan constitution bars anyone involved in corruption from holding high office. "Many times we confronted the president with documentary proof implicating ministers in corruption, but no action was taken," Zabuli said.

The current Afghan constitution envisages a presidential form of government with an elected bicameral parliament. The constitution declares Afghanistan an Islamic republic but guarantees fundamental human rights and freedoms.

Wadir Safi, a law professor at Kabul University, said that emphasis on 'Islamizing' Afghanistan in the current constitution was an attempt to bridge underlying tensions between pro-Western progressives, their Western backers and Islamists in the country.

He said that declaring Afghanistan an Islamic republic and other Islamic provisions in the constitution aimed at appeasing the former anti-Soviet guerilla leaders who became among the main powerbrokers in Kabul after the demise of the Taliban regime in late 2001.

"Look who is most vocal in criticizing the West and the Americans today?" he asked. "The constitution has failed to achieve its main goal of bridging differences among Afghans and has broadly been unsuccessful in creating a democratic Afghanistan."

"On The Waves of Freedom" is a weekly, two-hour long radio call-in show known for sharp analysis and political commentary. Every Thursday millions of Afghans in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and Tajikistan tune in to the show, which is a flagship program of Radio Free Afghanistan, or Radio Azadi as it is known locally.

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