The Afghan interim government that was succeeded by the transitional one has just been able to survive the complex and complicated political, social and military problems it had had to face. In struggling for survival, it has not been able to address a multiplicity of issues it was entrusted with by the Loya Jirga and its predecessor the Bonn Meeting. May of the responsibilities that were entrusted to the era of transition could be summarized in one expression: nation building.

The foundation of building a nation on the ashes of wars, devastations, catastrophes and other social and political evils could only be laid upon a framework-the constitutions, that would provide if the nation wanted, for a democratic system where all individual citizens are equal.

While the transitional government has assigned a new draft of the constitution for consideration and scrutiny of a larger commission of 35 people, the United Nations has announced preparations for helping the government to register voters for next year's presidential elections. This is probably with the hope that the work of the constitutional commission is completed in time and a constitutional Loya Jirga promulgates it giving the government a chance to go for democratic elections.

To many Afghans this is a ray of hope in an otherwise dark political atmosphere. Yet, many are still pondering over the many questions that surround the rebirth of Afghanistan as a democratic nation after a full quarter of century of war and devastation. There are questions about the mechanisms in the constitution that would make democracy of the 21s century compatible with Islamic interpretations of government as presented by fundamentalists. There are also questions about remedies for warlordism, and provisions for a truly equitable distribution of national wealth as well as a chance for all citizens to participate equally in the process of the country's resuscitation and reconstruction according to their capabilities, talents, skills and experiences. There are also questions about the sanctity of human rights, safeguarding of people's honor and property to be envisaged by law. Security for all at all times and places and its guarantee by the law is another concern of the Afghans. Afghanistan's relations with the world as a whole and with the United Nations, and the world's only superpower with interests of its own in Afghanistan must also be streamlined and explained by the constitution. And finally the issue of the distribution of power between a central government and local administrations has also to be defined and explained by the law. Only after finding answers for the above would the nation be truly ready for elections. These elections, the first of their kind after the expiration of the term of the transitional government seem to be the most important and thus require elaborate study and preparation.

It is expected that over 10 million of the country's estimated population of over 26 million should be registered. This in itself is a humongous job for a country that is in dire need of security, funds, planners and other essential personnel.

Obviously, the government would have to seek assistance from the UN system in its preparation for the elections. As envisaged, the United Nations would help in employing some 400 UN advisors and would pay for employment of some 3000 Afghans for the task of registering of voters all over the country. One of the difficulties that even such a big group face would be three fold: the returning refugees from abroad in hundreds of thousands with no defined addresses, about 600,000 internally displaced people who had to abandon their homes due to drought and military conflicts, and the mobile nomads who travel with the seasons in Afghanistan in search of pastureland for their flocks of sheep. However, some measures taken in good faith and in good time would be able to help the government surmount this problem. Voter registration is not an inexpensive undertaking either. For a government that has problem paying its own employees, additional voter registration would mean additional difficulties. However, presently it is envisaged that the United Nations would be able to contribute up to $ 80million for the project. The good news is that there is plenty of time for the registration process to be completed by March of 2004.

But what follows the registration is another complex issue. Many see difficulties in conducting democratic elections in societies that are poor and suffer from higher rates of illiteracy. Others citing example of the worlds largest democracy, India suggest that poverty and illiteracy are no hindrances. Yet the issue of reaching the constituency would pose a big problem when tools of mass media of communication are lacking in such societies. On the other hand, for Afghanistan conducting of electoral campaign under conditions of insecurity and when warlords and gunmen have and wield true power may cause a big problem. Another issue would be the role played by political movements that are founded only on ethnic, geographical religious and linguistic interests and therefore cannot be considered to be truly national. At this stage that old values of the Afghan society have been disturbed by long years of war and devastation, building of a new value system for democratic effort should pose little difficulty only if the constituencies are well informed and the role of the gun and warlords is eliminated from imposing of the will of the mighty on the ordinary citizens.

In other words, for those who are hopeful for a democratic Afghanistan to emerge from this maze of political uncertainties, it is to be said that the proof of the pudding is in the eating. If sufficient preparations are made in good time and just measures are adopted, one could be optimistically looking forward to the emerging of the democratic Afghanistan that is the objective of its true sons and its international friends. However, it is not only the ingredients that are important, but the conditions prevailing prior, during and after the promulgation of the new Afghan constitution that would provide for elections. 5/25/03