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Weekly Commentaries

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A Taste of Power
17 Jun 2009
By: Dr. G. Rauf Roashan
Real winners in any election are those who stand for election not because of their addiction to power or their love to achieve it, but for genuine determination to serve the country and win themselves a worthy place in human history as leaders who served their nations selflessly and effectively. Does President Karzai of Afghanistan who is up for reelection qualify as such a devoted leader or is he just an addict to power?
The Assassination of Democracy
12 Apr 2009
By: Dr. G. Rauf Roashan
A clear example of the situations leading to an act that is equivalent to the assassination of democracy and democratic endeavor in Afghanistan is the most recent issue of the creation of a bill on personal conduct of the Shiites in Afghanistan, its passage by the parliament, and its endorsement by the president. The conspiracy behind the writing of such a controversial bill, its passage by the parliament where an exemplary percentage in Afghan history of members are women, and its expeditious signing by the president are all pointing to the failure of democracy at all levels of government.
One Cow Many Butchers
15 Mar 2009
By: Dr. G. Rauf Roashan
The Afghans have a saying that where there are too many butchers, the cow would end up impure in its meat. Afghanistan today seems to be like that cow and the many butchers, who don't even have legitimate butcher’s licenses, are busy poking their knives into its already wounded body. To ensure success in efforts to end the strife in Afghanistan the new US policy guidelines for Afghanistan should make the US a collaborator rather than an occupying force and should befriend people rather than alienate them. Afghans remembering the Soviet occupation are still carrying some degree of respect for America. It would be a loss to lose that respect by losing the minds and hearts of the Afghans.
Afghanistan: Einstein for President
14 Feb 2009
By: Dr. G. Rauf Roashan
With a new administration in the United States and Afghanistan’s elections on the horizon, it is high time a new strategy be devised for the success of the war on terror and for bringing normalcy, if that were possible at all, to the war torn country of Afghanistan. Different people from different quarters with different perspectives suggest different remedies to the now more than thirty-year old crisis in Afghanistan. Let us look at a few of these options:
Casinos of Politics
17 Jan 2009
By: Dr. G. Rauf Roashan
Even at casino tables players vacate their seats for new players because they might have lost all they had, or had only enough for the return trip, or won enough only for another game at another table. US elections have produced a new leadership for America which would impact the world. In Afghanistan too, elections are due during the current year. How about those elections?

Recent Analysis and Reports

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Afghan Economy in the War and Pre-War Period
26 Jul 2004
By: Aziz Babakarkhail
It is of paramount importance to know that democratic political institutions had existed in the country to shape political affairs prior to president Dauod took over in 1973 in a coup d'etat; constitutional monarchy was abolished and Daoud announced himself as president of the Afghan Republic. The coup d'etat since then has developed to be a major and decisive component in the Afghan political culture. During the Russians' invasion, several Soviet
Innovative Methods Can Thwart Afghan Warlords
12 Aug 2002
By: James O'Brian USA Today
In Afghanistan, the warlords are fighting each other again, as they have for decades. Their rivalries threaten the peace our soldiers won. Their violence could cost the lives of Americans now guarding President Hamid Karzai.
This is Kabul!
01 May 2002
By: Halima Kazem
I am having the experience of my life here in Kabul. Landing in Kabul Valley, in the middle of the beautiful Hindu Kush Mountains was a surreal feeling. It still hasn't hit me that I am in Afghanistan, a place that existed only in my dreams. I thought I would feel homesick but the moment I landed in Kabul Airport I felt the majestic mountains embrace me like a long lost mother and the battered but resilient ground support me like a brave! father.
An Introduction To The Economic Reconstruction of Afghanistan
01 Jan 2002
By: Dr. Nour Ali
Afghanistan’s economy being ravaged almost completely, its reconstruction has to be started ipso facto from scratch or “Tabula raza”. The pattern of reconstruction chosen will determine the direction of the consequent political, social, and economic character of the Afghan society. Every precautionary measures must be taken to adduce this economy to the path of highest possible rate of growth with its benefit distributed equitably among all strata of the Afghan community, securing for the country as a whole a long lasting peace and stability.
The Right to Choose in Afghanistan
01 Jan 2002
By: Dr. Omar Zakhilwal
I am a member of the Loya Jirga’s silent majority – or rather, silenced majority – who came to Kabul expecting to shape our nation’s future but instead find ourselves being dragged back into the past. We came from all parts of the country to claim our freedom and democracy, but instead are being met with systematic threats and intimidation aimed at undermining our free choice.
National Development Framework
01 Jan 2002
By:
prepared for the Afghan Assistance Coordination Authority (AACA): There is a consensus in Afghan society: violence as a means of compelling the majority to submit to the will of minority must end. The people's aspirations must be represented and reflected in an accountable government that delivers value on a daily basis.
Loya Jirga
30 Jul 2001
By: Dr. G. Rauf Roashan
It is a fact that for as long as history remembers, human societies in their long historical evolution have used councils and meetings to decide on issues that directly impacted their lives within their families, villages, tribes and regions. Even prehistoric man used councils in deciding how to deal with the wild that threatened his life or how to deal with natural calamities or even hostile neighboring tribes. But in Afghanistan’s history councils have played a greater role for a number of reasons that will be explained in this paper.
Human Rights and Reconstruction in Afghanistan
01 Apr 2001
By: Center for Economic and Social Rights
This is becoming a familiar pattern -- the US makes a mess of things and the UN is forced to come in and clean up, but without the political or military muscle to get the job done. Then when it blows up several months or years later, we the blame while the US is busy bombing elsewhere. UN field officer.
Special Model of Provisional Government for Afghanistan
01 Mar 2001
By: Dr. Nour Ali
In order for the contemplated transitional government to succeed to bring about in Afghanistan a democratic system of political power fit for the country, the existence of an effective state apparatus with appropriate state institutions is indispensable. Such a state apparatus, while ensuring continuity in the normal conduct of the country's public affairs, would take necessary steps towards transition to democracy by legalizing all the required freedoms including those of assembly, of association for political parties, of access to media and of organizing competitive elections.
Reconstruction and Peace Building in a Regional Framework
01 Jan 2001
By: Barnett R. Rubin
By: Ashraf Ghani, William Maley, Ahmad Rashid, and Olivier Roy They write: "Economic and social issues such as education cannot await a political settlement. The absence or weakness of institutions is one of the causes of the conflict and makes any purely political settlement difficult if not impossible. Hence efforts at reconstruction and institution and institution building need to precede and act as a catalyst for political agreements rather then reverse

Constitution

Afghan Constitution The 1976 Constitution of President Daud
The 1964 Constitution of King Zaher Shah
Communist Era Constitution
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Current Affairs

Current Affairs

Afghanistan: Toward Parliamentary Elections Kabul/Brussels, 23 November 2004
By: INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP - NEW REPORT
Constitution an Exercise in Nation Building
A Test in Social Organization
by: Dr. Rauf Roashan


Changes in the Draft Constitution of Afghanistan Introduced
by the Bureau and Reconciliation Commission of the
Consitutional Loya Jirga
Prepared by: Barnett R. Rubin

Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs):
by: Charlotte Watkins (Word Doc.)

Building a Post-War Justice System in Afghanistan
by: Ali Wardak
University of Glamorgan, UK (Word Doc.)

KARZAI'S STATE-OF-THE-NATION SPEECH
Radio Afghanistan (Dari and Pashto)
Kabul, Afghanistan
April 8, 2003
In his state-of the-nation address Afghan leader Hamed Karzai criticized his government for its shortcomings, its failure to provide security by setting up a   ....more 

Capacity Building for Development

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Building Up Capacity At The Central Statistical Office
25 Jun 2007
By: Aziz Babakarkhail

A great deal of efforts has been made to revive or rebuild vital institutions in the country. However, the degree of focus on individual institution, as well as aligning priorities of rebuilding a large number of governmental organizations, in view of the resource constraints, amounts to making hard choices among competing alternatives, leading often to an unintentional postponement. The CSO’s case is not an exception from this rule.

It is a remarkable accomplishment that the Statistical Master Plan has been laid out to strengthen the statistical capacity in the country and the CSO has been granted an independent status. However, this accomplishment can never solely function, as an end in itself. But, there is an urgent need for a strong and proactive dynamism to turn this achievement into a means in order to achieve the superior objective- building up human and institutional capacity at CSO and thereby improving the national statistical system.