Afghanistan: An election that could really matter

By Wahab Raofi

“Elections don't matter, institutions do,” wrote Robert Kaplan, chief geopolitical analyst for Strategic Forecasting, Inc.

When I read his words, I felt they almost fit the current situation in my native Afghanistan. Elections do matter, at least a little, but it’s true that institutions matter much more. This month’s free election in Afghanistan will attest to that.

Despite socio-economic obstacles – and uncertainty over the fate of an American military presence beyond 2014 – Afghans braved the Taliban by casting their votes, sending a clear message that intimidation would not deter them from exercising their rights. This was a milestone political victory in the long history of this multi-ethnic, tribe-fractured nation. Somehow the transfer of power rose above violence.

What made this election different from the previous three elections was that it was not just rejecting the Taliban’s intimidation or voting for or against any particular individual. It was rather a call to end the corruption and establish accountability. It was about creating more reliable institutions.

Since 2001, President Hamid Karzai struggled with unfriendly neighbors and fought with the Taliban insurgency, which sapped most of his administration’s energy, leaving little time to rebuild the much-needed institutions that were shattered during three decades of war.

To be fair, Karzai deserves credit for re-establishing the parliament, drafting a new constitution and building the Afghan national Army and police. However, he could have done much more had he not been so focused on amassing power for himself.

Karzai’s grip on every small function of government was so extreme that every civil servant from governors to district chiefs had to secure his signature. The monopoly of the executive branch has weakened the authority of parliament and judicial branch, leaving Afghanistan with just a shell of democracy.

The central planning system deprived rural areas of aid, which was dispensed only via the ink of bureaucrats in Kabul.

This lack of accountability led to a government engine greased by corruption and illicit underground economic activity. Bribery, nepotism and expediency became the accepted form of getting things done. Government posts such as customs, police chiefs and other positions of power were reportedly sold to the highest bidder, in secrecy, to those with tribal, regional or personal loyalties.

After the rout of the Taliban in 2001, the diaspora returned, promising to establish a Western-style democracy, with leaders in the North Alliance vowing a real Islamic state (the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan). They not only failed on their promises, but they adapted themselves to the demands of a dysfunctional and corrupt system.

It wasn’t just elected officials who escaped the arm of law. In a highly publicized case, Karzai’s brother, Mahmood, was alleged to have defrauded the Kabul Bank (a U.S.-taxpayer-funded institution) of millions of dollars. But no charges were filed against him.

Terrorists and criminals took advantage of this feeble justice system. Those in the Taliban who were caught and charged with crimes against Afghan security forces or innocent civilians were released without charges or fines. As a result, citizens lost trust in their system and sought justice outside the government, especially in rural areas, where tribal justice was “fast, fair and enforced.”

The citizen response to this has been mute for two reasons: they simply cannot do anything about it and corruption pays. If they have the opportunity, they will do the same thing.

When someone sees his neighbor erect a multi-story building after he was appointed to a position in government, he knows the money came for an illicit source. Does he report him? No. He is more likely to try to find a connection to get himself a similar position.

So my best advice for the new president is to find a good mentor. I see no one better qualified than Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, who successfully built institutions that laid the foundations for commerce, justice, law and order. He earned the trust of his citizens and as well as the international community.

Security and economic progress are important elements for enduring peace; however, without strong institutions to guard these elements, all they will build are castles of sand.

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/institutions-609471-taliban-government.html