Afghanistan's troubled start to democracy

Abdul Rashid Dostum, a powerful warlord in Mazar-e Sharif, was elected to a tribal council, even though militia leaders were meant to be excluded.

In the Kabul offices of the Loya Jirga Commission itself, Prof. Mahbooba Hoquqmal admits that any emergency election is bound to have problems. But in a country hungering for security and a stable government, the only way to maintain peace is to stay firm, keep moving ahead with the election, and reduce the power of the gun.

"We have many incidents where commanders elected themselves, or used their power and influence to be elected," says Professor Hoquqmal, vice-chairwoman of the Loya Jirga Commission. "But the interim administration stopped their activities and held new elections, and when people had freedom, they selected new people."

"The loya jirga will decide the future of this country," she adds. "We lived a long time without justice, without human rights, without security, especially for women. Now, all our family members want a normal life."

According to the Los Angeles Times, a consensus is building that the former king could be chosen as head of state, while much of the power will be given to the prime minister, a role which would be filled by Karzai.

In most villages, the elections are boisterous, competitive, noisy affairs, full of campaign promises and door-to-door handshaking, and for the most part, quite safe.

But the loya jirga process has been anything but smooth. Last week, one recently elected representative was murdered in the central province of Ghor.

Atiqullah Stanekzai, a former pilot in the Afghan Air Force who now flies UN officials to distant villages for loya jirga elections, says he has seen darker incidents of vote-buying, mostly by commanders allied with the Northern Alliance.

"I have seen past loya jirgas, and I have seen this one, and it is not democratic," says Mr. Stanekzai, a Pashtun who flew planes for the Taliban air force before it was destroyed by US bombers in the early part of the war. "But in spite of this, the people are very tired of fighting and war and they will participate. In sha'allah (God willing), this election will be honest."

But UN official Habibullah is not so sure.

"We tell people to vote in the election, and then give us [their] written complaints and we will take them to the head of the commission," says Habibullah with a sigh. "We keep telling the Loya Jirga commission ourselves, but they tell us 'do whatever we order you to do. We will take care of the problems in the next election.' "

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