The deal worked out by Afghan factions after nine days of grueling talks, establishing an interim government, is a landmark event in the troubled history of Afghanistan. If the newfound good will among all parties is sustained, then truly the violence and devastation of 20 years will be over.
The choice of Hamid Karzai to head the government is a wise one. A Pashtun, currently leading one of the anti-Taleban groups surrounding Kandahar, he is believed to be sympathetic to the cause of ex-King Zahir Shah as a unifying force for the country. His identification with a faction notwithstanding, the widely held impression is that his vision goes beyond group interests. He knows, as any sane Afghan should, that their country is where it is today, drowned in blood and starving, because its leaders chose, at the most decisive moments in their country’s history, to pursue sectarian interests. That is why Karzai said that his main priority will be to restore absolute peace and security and bring unity to the country.
The report that he has been wounded by a stray US bomb near Kandahar should remind him to reorder his life to serve those priorities. His job now is not to capture Kandahar, but to start work with his new administrative team to set in place the basics of government. In the days to come, the more he is seen both by the population at large and by his future colleagues, the stronger will be his influence over the new government.
The Bonn accord inevitably did not please everyone. Haji Abdul Qadir, brother of the murdered Abdul Haq, left the negotiations prematurely, claiming that the majority Pashtuns were not properly represented in the division of government posts. Similar complaints have come from some Hazara and Uzbek leaders about their own ministerial representation. It could be argued that if elements on opposing sides are both discontented, then the deal may indeed be a fair compromise. But this would be to ignore the historic reality of Afghanistan: Any single faction that is disaffected with the central government in Kabul can take to the hills and raise the destabilizing standard of revolt. A priority task for the premier-elect will, therefore, be to reach out to those who have serious reservations about the Bonn deal. He must assure them that their interests will be considered and protected, even though they may not have the size of governmental role that they believe is their due.
The new leaders should not disappoint their countrymen again. They have already had one false dawn. When the Taleban seized power and drove the warring factions of the Northern Alliance from most of the country, there was widespread relief that civil conflict was at an end. Unfortunately, though they restored peace, the Taleban inflicted an unbending regime that gave nothing to the man in the street. Now the chance of peace has presented itself.
But this time that chance is underwritten by the international community which is prepared to spend billions of dollars to rebuild Afghanistan. However, these immense funds will only come if the interim administration can ensure that all parties in the country remain dedicated to ending factional strife and truly embrace the goal of unity.
Karzai has been chosen to undertake an extremely tough job.
