I am impressed that Afghanistan has managed to create a new constitution. I haven’t had a chance to get my hands on it, but I wonder how different it is from the 1964 constitution, which was the last functioning one in the country. I think settling the language issue is key, as it is one of the markers of ethnicity, and one of the big dividing forces in the country. How the Hazaras will be treated is still an open question, as is the role women will play. As the BBC article correctly notes, the country still lacks the rule of law and the warlords and Taliban hold a great deal of power. I think the presidential model is a good one for now, and may turn out to be a good choice in the long run if a truly multi-party state develops. I would have like to have seen more flexibility in the ability to transition to a parliamentary style of government by building in evaluation time points. Overall, it’s a good and important first step towards stabilizing the country.
Related Posts
Yom Ashura
Today is Yom Ashura, the 10th day of Muharram, the day that marks the martyrdom of Imam Husayn. It looks like violence and bloodshed caused by Muslim on Muslim crime remains the order of the day.
Ignorance continues to make us safer
So Bush was in Beantown for a fundraiser, and his Chief of Staff, Andrew Card, was asked about Richard Clarke’s book. Card was honest and said he had not read the whole book. He did say that he thought Clarke’s proposition that Al-Qaeda operatives were in Boston and looking at using liquid natural gas (LNG) was untrue. I got all of the above from an op-ed in the Globe. The funny thing is that one of the front pieces on the Globe, on the same day, was a former counter-terrorism agent talking about the intelligence that has him convinced Al-Qaeda…
Four more years!
Mother Jones has a great write-up on what we can look forward to in four more years of a Bush presidency. I really hope “our” Muslim organizations tell us to vote for him soon, otherwise we might to start to think he’s no good for us. [goes off to get sarcasm remover.]