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All Afghans may
participate in Loya Jirga, Karzai
Hamid Karzai's exclusive interview with Omaid Weekly
Translated from the original Dari-Persian, following is Omaid Weekly's exclusive interview, conducted on 22 January 2002 by Mr. Mohammad Q. Koshan, the newspaper's Editor in Chief, with Mr. Hamid Karzai, chairman of Afghanistan's Interim Authority, during last week's two-day meeting of the International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan, held in in Tokyo, Japan.
Omaid Weekly Editor in Chief: What is the most significant accomplishment of the Interim Authority thus far, and how do you assess its first month of administration?
Chairman
Karzai: Our biggest accomplishment in this one month is the success
of today's conference. We were able to acquire one thousand and
eight hundred million (US) dollars in assistance to aid and rebuild
Afghanistan for 2001, which approximately coincides with our
[Islamic solar calendar] year of 1381. We hope to effectively,
properly, and sincerely deliver this aid to the people of
Afghanistan, so that we can, God willing, begin the reconstruction
of our country.
OW: What is another major accomplishment during this one month?
CK: Another accomplish is the re-recognition of [the Government of] Afghanistan by the world community. Many embassies have reopened [in Kabul]. God willing, Afghanistan will regain and occupy its rightful position and prestige among the nations of the world. Additionally, the commission that will organize the emergency Loya Jirga [Grand National Assembly] has, God willing, been formed and it will soon be announced. And government employees will, today, God willing, receive pay.
OW: The country's economic woes are evident, and, unfortunately, it is in shambles from every standpoint. You have indicated in one of your speeches that there are many priorities for your government. What do you see as the first priority?
CK: The creation of a new administration, that is, Afghanistan must restore its civil government, one that is principled and capable, so that it can implement reconstruction projects throughout the country. Afghanistan must regain its domestic wealth, and from it pay government workers, and with a regular flow of revenue, eventually end its need for international assistance. We have acquired this aid to rebuild Afghanistan, so that ultimately reconstruction will give way to new construction. Afghanistan must become a progressive, productive, and developed nation.
OW: Afghanistan needs talent, human resources, in order to rebuild its civil structures and government, and most professionals and specialists live outside the country. And the difficulties these expatriates face must also be considered. What programs will the Interim Authority implement to solve these [repatriation] difficulties.
CK: First, they are able to retain the passport of whatever country they have, and concurrently preserve their Afghan nationality. We accept dual citizenship, and we are working out the procedures. They are welcome to Afghanistan; they should come and work. Second, they are also allowed to preserve the privileges they have in their current country of residence. We have relayed to those countries that Afghans who wish to work in Afghanistan must be allowed to have their families [who stay behind] retain their privileges and government allowances. This would allow those Afghans who wish to come and work in Afghanistan to do just that. Third, we will bring security in Afghanistan so that they have no worries about coming and working in Afghanistan. The laws have been shaped to assure them of their personal safety.
OW: During the last few days, a number of news reports indicates that some neighboring countries are taking actions reminiscent of Afghanistan's troubles during the previous few years. What is your opinion on this matter?
CK: We are hopeful that all of Afghanistan's neighbors are aware that we want good and friendly relations with them. We desire beneficial trade and noble intentions. They must pay attention, however, that we are fully aware of all activities, and we will not allow Afghanistan to revert to the chaos of the past years and the past few months. When we respect the security and integrity of our neighboring countries, we expect that they will in turn respect the independence and territorial integrity of Afghanistan. Such respect will permit our nations to grow and progress.
OW: Have American officials, who have been in contact with you over the last month, discussed reviving the oil and gas pipeline plan from Central Asia via Afghanistan or any other specific projects?
CK: There have not been any specific discussions on the oil and gas pipeline. However, if American companies are ready to build the oil and gas pipeline, then it will only benefit Afghanistan, and we are prepared to listen to their proposals.
OW: During the past two weeks there has been activity among some Afghan circles in the United States, including Virginia, and it is said that "officials" have ordered and called for the formation of committees to select ten representatives from each of four regions in the United States -- forty representatives in total. As of yet, the Loya Jirga organizing committee has not been announced, and there have not been any directives from the Interim Authority to Afghans [in the United States]. In the view of the Interim Authority, what is the best course for Afghans to take to select their representatives for the Loya Jirga or activities here in the United States, or both?
CK: We have decided that the organizing committee for the Loya Jirga will not be under [the Interim Authority's] jurisdiction. It must be independent from the government or Interim Authority, and we don’t want to interfere with it. In our part of the world, new governments often focus on how to keep power and subsequently interfere in such processes. We do not want to take part in such activity. For this reason, we have asked the United Nations to take full charge of the Loya Jirga process, and thus, to determine the composition of the organizing committee. We will only announce its formation. Anyone who wants to participate or become a candidate in the Loya Jirga should contact the 21-member committee. We have no legal power in this process. When the Loya Jirga is formed, we only want to provide for its facility, location, and security.
OW: Then the Interim Authority has not given a directive to Afghans living outside the country on how to choose their representatives?
CK: No, [it has not]. It is a free process. Each Afghan has the right to free activity, to send whomever they want. If they don't want to send someone, that, too, is their prerogative. And whoever comes and participates in the Loya Jirga, God willing they have been chosen in a free and fair manner. Hopefully, they will work for the benefit of Afghanistan, and this is their indisputable right. The Afghan people, themselves, must determine their destiny and, God willing, this is their right.
OW: Do you have a message to Afghans living abroad?
CK: My message to our sisters and brothers living abroad is anyone of them who wants may come and work in their country. Afghanistan's gates, without any need for us to tell them, is open to them. It is their country. They are welcome. But, the rule of law and security is my domain. It is my duty to provide them with the rule of law and security. ><
Reconstructing Afghanistan
Efficient and substantiated growth through the
creation of a Bank for the Reconstruction and the Development of
Afghanistan (BRDA)
By Dr. Assem Akram
The International Conference on the Reconstruction of Afghanistan has just ended in Tokyo. Under the co-chairmanship of the United States, Japan, European and Saudi delegations, the participating 16 countries have pledged to contribute a total amount of about $4.5 billion for the recovery of war-devastated Afghanistan.
Although the target of 15 to 25 billion US dollars estimated to be necessary during the course of the next decade to resuscitate Afghanistan and put it on sound tracks not only economically but also socially was not met, the amounts pledged at this start can give hope of a sustained backing from the international community.
One of the main issues that lays not only ahead of the Afghan Government but also of the international contributors' community -- whether States or organizations -- is to assure a maximum of efficiency and transparency in the way sums are spent to acquire a correlated credibility, key to ask for and obtain more funds necessary for the completion of the daunting task set forth. I insist on the fact that it's to the mutual interest of Afghanistan and the international donor's community, as represented at the Tokyo summit, that what is accomplished in Afghanistan be a success. On that very success depends the credibility of the Afghan Government, no matter who runs it, and the credibility of the international community to showcase its determination to bring back to normalcy one of its own for the sake of world and regional stability.
It is in line with this very basic but fundamental reasoning that I am putting forward the idea of creating a body that would collect, control, and dispend the funds aimed at Afghanistan's reconstruction. The Bank for the Reconstruction and the Development of Afghanistan (BRDA) would be created in a common effort and participation between the Afghan Government, the Tokyo summit participant countries (expandable), United Nations, and international bodies and institutions such as the UNDP, World Bank, INF, Asian Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank, etc. The BRDA would be headquartered in Kabul and its President would be appointed by the Afghan Government. The BRDA could take inspiration for its constitution and modalities after famed predecessors such as the IBRD or the BERD with a major difference that the Bank for the Reconstruction and the Development of Afghanistan (BRDA) would be concentrating its effort on a single country for which one must acknowledge the situation is specific and requires a sustained, targeted effort.
Let us insist once more on the fact that the creation of such an entity would be beneficial for both parties: the Afghan Government would be able to take advantage of banking, financial, and technical expertise. It would not have to spend an enormous amount of time to negotiate with "pledging" governments on ways and means to finally get the promised finances/assistance since everything would be centralized and somehow standardized through the BRDA. Indeed, the overall coordination and planning of the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan would be largely homogenized and coordinated as compared to a myriad of projects with as many promoters insisting on having it done their way or not at all: the kind of situation that could lead to an anarchic development definitely not for the good of the Afghan people and could result to a failure of the entire experience.
I am, therefore, urging the Afghan Government, the United Nations Secretary General's Special Representative for Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, representatives of the Governments of the United States, Japan, the European Union, Saudi Arabia, the President of the World Bank, and other countries involved in the Tokyo conference on Afghanistan to adopt this idea and rapidly engage into discussions to make the BRDA a reality.
Dr. Akram has authored three books on Afghanistan: 1. History of the War in Afghanistan, in French, Balland, Paris, 1996 2. Ocre fatale, in French, Balland, Paris, 2001 3. A Study On Mohammad Daoud Khan, in Dari/Farsi, Mizan Publishing, USA, 2001. He can be reached at aa462@aol.com.
Posthumous Nobel Peace Prize
for
Ahmad Shah Masood (ra)
Visit http://www.massoud.fr.st for information on the worthy effort to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Ahmad Shah Masood (rahmatullah alaih - God's blessings upon him), martyred leader of Afghanistan's successful national resistance, first against the Soviet Union, and then against Pakistan, the Taliban, and Osama bin Laden. You may also email massoud@fr.st for further information.
--The Committee for the Candidacy of Ahmad Shah Massoud for the Nobel Peace Prize
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