FAQ: Politics and Current Events
Does Afghanistan have a constitution?
Yes; the new Constitution was adopted on January
4, 2004. The Constitution of Afghanistan is one of the most
liberal constitutions in Asia, and provides for full protection
of basic rights for all Afghans and equal rights for women.
Who is the President of Afghanistan?
After a historic election day on October 9, 2004
in which eight million people went to the polls, President Hamid
Karzai became the first democratically-elected President of
Afghanistan. Previously, President Karzai had been Chairman
of the Transitional Administration and Interim President from
2002.
What is the structure of the government?
The executive branch of the Afghan government
consists of a powerful and popularly elected President and two
Vice Presidents. A National Assembly consisting of two Houses,
the House of People (Wolesi Jirga) with 249 seats, and the House
of 
Elders (Meshrano Jirga) wiyh 102 seats forms the Legislative
Branch. There is an independent Judiciary branch consisting
of the Supreme Court (Stera Mahkama), High Courts and Appeal
Courts. The President appoints the nine members of the Supreme
Court with the approval of the Wolesi Jirga.
How long has there been conflict in Afghanistan?
Due to its strategic location as a link between
Central Asia the Middle East and South East Asia, the land of
Afghanistan has appealed to ancient kingdoms, European empires,
Cold War alliances, and contemporary world strategists. In recent
decades, Afghanistan has suffered waves of violence propagated
largely by external forces. In 1979, the Soviet Union invaded
Afghanistan. Afghan regional leaders united and 
successfully
resisted the soviet occupation. The last Soviet soldier left
Afghanistan on February 15 1989. However, this fighting prevented
Afghanistan’s development and consolidation as a state.
Once the Soviet Union fell in 1989, internal divisions and external
pressure led to further instability, which was exploited by
the Taliban. The Taliban captured Kabul in 1998 establishing
their tyrannical reign throughout the country. The September
11 attacks in the United States in 2001 dramatically changed
the fate of Afghanistan. With the Taliban overthrown and a new
democratically elected government in place, Afghanistan has
chosen to move forward as a free, democratic nation in partnership
with the international community.
What is the Bonn Agreement?
Bonn Agreement was the first of a series of agreements
designed to re-build the state of Afghanistan following the
U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. In December of 2001, Afghan and
world leaders met in Bonn, Germany under United Nations auspices
to design an ambitious agenda that would guide Afghanistan towards
“national reconciliation, a lasting peace, stability,
and respect for human rights” culminating in the establishment
of a fully representative government. Many political and civil
institutions have been established with the Bonn Agreement through
commissions such as the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission,
the Judicial Commission, Counter- Narcotics Directorate, and
the Constitutional commission.
What happened at the London Donor Conference in February
2006?
The London Conference on Afghanistan in January
2006 aimed to launch the Afghanistan Compact, the successor
to the Bonn Agreement, to present the interim Afghanistan National
Development Strategy, and to ensure the Government of Afghanistan
has adequate resources to meet its domestic ambitions.
What is the Afghanistan Compact?
The Afghanistan Compact marks the formal end of
the Bonn Process, with completion of the Parliamentary and Provincial
elections, and will establish an effective mechanism for coordinating
Afghan and international efforts over the next period. The Afghanistan
Compact is the result of consultation between the Government
of Afghanistan, the United Nations and the international community,
and represents a framework for co-operation for five years.
The Compact was launched on 31 January 2006.
What is the Afghanistan National Development
Strategy?
The Interim Afghanistan National Development
Strategy (I-ANDS) is the product of twelve-months of intensive
consultations within the Afghan government and with a wide array
of stakeholders including tribal and religious leaders, the
private sector, NGOs, and the international community. The document
outlines the government’s policy objectives and analyzes
the obstacles to their achievement. It is an evolving strategy
that is regularly reviewed and updated according to the needs
of Afghanistan.
What achievements have been made in Afghanistan’s political development?
In 2001, Afghanistan was a state hijacked by extremism and intolerance. The Afghan people lacked almost every universal human freedom, they could not speak out against the government, listen to music, watch television or enjoy any leisure activities. Children were not free to play games or sports, and women were subject to the brutality of religious police. There was no free media and criminal punishments included amputations and public executions. During this period of cruelty and chaos, millions of Afghans fled their homeland.
Today, over 4.7 million refugees have demonstrated their vote of confidence in the political process and the Government by returning home. Afghanistan held successful Presidential elections in October 2004 (with 86% voter turnout) and successful Parliamentary elections in September 2005. Women were elected to 68 of the188 seats in the lower house of parliament. Afghans today enjoy more political, economic, and social rights than at any time in the history of the country. Free press is flourishing and more than 8 private TV stations, 78 radio stations and 300 publications have been launched in the past four years. At least 40 judicial centers have been built or rehabilitated and almost 600 judges have been trained. The days of public stoning and beating women in the streets are over. Afghanistan adopted the most enlightened democratic constitution in the region in Jan. 2004. This constitution clearly protects women’s rights.
Afghanistan has become a beacon of democracy in an often-troubled region. When 8.4 million Muslims, Afghan men and women, lined up to vote for their President and Parliament, they not only demonstrated their commitment to democracy in Afghanistan, they also sent a strong message to terrorists and extremists all over the world.
Is there international support for the mission in Afghanistan?
Today, there is strong international consensus on the need to help Afghanistan. Afghanistan is once more playing its historic role in bridging cultures, countries and civilizations. Over 60 counties are helping rebuild Afghanistan. 36 countries have troops in Afghanistan and 41 countries are helping train and equip our national army.
