LOYA JIRGA ENDED, GIVING AFGHANISTAN A CONTROVERSIAL CONSTITUTION
KABOL, 4 Jan. (IPS) Afghanistan's Loya Jirga, or the grand assembly of the Elders adopted Sunday a Constitution that makes the war-ravaged Asian nation an Islamic Republic giving the president, to be elected directly, powers similar to that of the United States.
The Constitution, the first in more than three decades, was approved by a
majority of the 500 delegates from all over Afghanistan after three weeks of
intense and often heated debate that followed months of consultations creates a
presidential system of government with a Parliament and a Senate.
Though Islam is recognized as "the sacred religion" of the State, but followers of other faiths are free to worship within the provisions of the law, that considers equal rights for all Afghans, regardless of sex, religion or ethnic belonging.
Some delegates from the intelligentsia had warned against giving Afghanistan an official religion and naming it Islamic Republic, explaining that the example of neighbouring Iran was "here to warn everybody on the dangers of mixing politics and religion".
But others rejected the warning, observing that the Constitution does not make Afghanistan a theocracy.
Nevertheless, 200 delegates, mostly from the Tajik, Hazara Shi’ites and other minorities, including some women delegates boycotted Thursday's vote, a move that forced an adjournment of the Loya Jirga, which was dubbed the "Loya Jagra" ("big fight") by some Afghans, AFP said.
Hamid Karzai, the present American-backed Premier-President
immediately hailed the decision, telling the delegates: "You havlaid the
foundation for a free, united, rich and legitimate Afghanistan".
"I think in the present situation Afghanistan does not have strong government institutions and it is a dangerous situation. There is the possibility of instability. That's why I prefer a strong presidential system for Afghanistan".
United Nations special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi expressed satisfaction on the move, but warned that "there is no rule of law in this country yet", according to the French news agency AFP.
"Congratulations to you President Karzai as the leader of this country and as the president who will have the honour and the responsibility to lead the implementation of the Constitution, which has just been approved", the Algerian diplomat who played a key role in the installation of Karzai as provisory Prime Minister two years ago in Bonn, said.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the Afghan-born American ambassador to Kabol said the decision was a "significant milestone" on Afghanistan’s path to democracy".
"With the world watching, you have adopted one of the most enlightened constitutions in the Islamic world through an orderly process", he said in a statement, adding that the country now faced the problem of implementing the document's reforms.
Originally slated to take between seven and 10 days, the Loya Jirga lasted for three weeks due to sharp differences between delegates over a national language and anthem, but mostly on the future political structures of the nation, with many representatives of the minority but domineering Farsi-language Tajiks backing a parliamentary system.
Among the most contentious issues were the adoption of a national language, the place of Islam in the constitution and the powers of the president.
Delegates from the Uzbek, Tajik, Hazara and Turkmen minorities had refused to vote, worried that they would be sidelined under the proposed constitution, which has been largely supported by the Pashtuns, who account for about 40 percent of the country's multi-ethnic population. ENDS AFGHANISTAN CONSTITUTION 4104