After 30 years of war and almost ten years of direct US/NATO military involvement, Afghanistan continues to confront problems of governance, corruption and economic hardship. The 2010 MEDays Forum sought to reflect on Afghanistan's past, and address the challenges ahead.
“The current leadership of Afghanistan was not able to maintain the support of the population behind the process which was generated earlier. That's a missed opportunity. The growing gap between the government and the people of Afghanistan has been used by adversaries which come under the name of extremist organizations and some terrorist organizations have also joined in.”
Abdullah Abdullah: Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan, Leader of the Opposition
“While there was a significant (United States) military plus up, there was a much more diminished civilian plus up. There should have been a much stronger, much more dynamic increase in the civilian side because at the end of the day, the thing that will help Afghan society get and stay on its feet will be a strong, vibrant civil society.”
Keith Ellison: Member of the US Congress, Representative of Minnesota-05, Member of the Foreign Affairs committee
“As we are going towards a possible partial withdrawal of coalition forces from Afghanistan, we Afghans would like to advocate for a plan on economic development for Afghanistan which is good not only for Afghanistan but also for the region.”
Torek Farhadi: Former Economic Advisor to the President of Afghanistan
“Pakistan is very worried, Pakistan would like that… whatever the exit strategy is... we should not experience what happened during the Afghan civil war. During the Afghan civil war, Afghans suffered and so did we. There are still 2 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan.”
Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri: Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan
“After the Taliban's fall, women gained a lot, especially in political life... But all these achievements are on the risk of negotiation and the peacebuilding process in Afghanistan... Women and children of Afghanistan are the first victims of any process.”
Sabrina Sagheb: Member of the Afghan Parliament
“Since the Bonn Conference in 2001, the challenges in Afghanistan have not changed. The conditions, however, to address these challenges have evolved over time. The three major challenges are: 1) peace and security in Afghanistan, 2) political and institutional stability, and 3) economic reconstruction and development.”
Zalmai Haquani: Professor at the University of Caen (France), Former Ambassador of Afghanistan to France and Morocco
Panelists agreed that no lasting security or stability will be established in the country if the Afghan government does not have the support of its population in its fight against the Taliban.
An urgent need for institutional and governance reforms
As Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan, stated, the structure of the Afghan government has resulted in a disconnect between the Afghan president and the rest of the population. The highly centralized decision-making process has isolated power in the hands of the president, who is not accountable to the people. Recently, the Afghan parliament ruled against a presidential decree and the president enacted it anyway. This has caused the population to doubt whether the government has the people's interest in mind at all. Dr. Abdullah and
Sabrina Sagheb, Former Member of the Afghan Parliament, encouraged a revision of the Afghan constitution in the coming year. Such a revision would establish a parliamentary democracy with a prime minister who is directly responsible to parliament and to the people of Afghanistan. This would help bridge the growing gap between the Afghan government and the people.
To ensure security, the international community and Afghans must be willing to address the pervasive corruption present in Afghanistan. According to Sabrina Sagheb, corruption and election fraud have become repeated, organized and systematic. Vote buying, closed polling stations, and violence continue to be problems. Zalmai Haquani, Former Ambassador of Afghanistan to France and Morocco, called for a constitutional amendment that would discourage fraud by altering the structure of the electoral system. If no reforms are made, Afghans will continue to question their government and turn to the Taliban.
Put economic development at the top of the agenda
To more effectively curb both corruption and support for the Taliban, economic development should also be addressed. According to Torek Farhadi, Former Economic Advisor to the President of Afghanistan, seven out of ten Afghans living outside of cities do not have access to electricity. This reality limits the support that citizens can receive from their government, along with the economic progress that they can achieve. If there is no electricity, hospitals cannot function properly, modern agriculture becomes impossible and education remains limited. A child will have great difficulty learning to read if there is no light at home. For many Afghans, it becomes logical to sell one's vote or join the Taliban, as the government does not deliver to the people. A citizen “surge” on the part of the US and international community could bring about the needed on the ground development that is still missing nearly ten years after US direct involvement in the country began.
Strong regional and international support
All of the panelists stressed that Afghanistan's future will depend on continued regional and international support. Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, highlighted the shared interests that both Pakistan and Afghanistan have in a peaceful and stable future. Keith Ellison, Member of the U.S. Congress, called for an enduring U.S. relation with Pakistan and Afghanistan in order to establish lasting peace in the region. The Afghans on the panel reminded the audience of the current weaknesses of Afghan security forces and the continual need for international support to promote the values of democracy, rule of law, human rights and governance. Ultimately, lasting security and stability will only come about when the Afghan population can support and work with the Afghan government. This will involve constitutional reform, a tampering down on corruption and continued economic development.
