Future of Afghanistan

On October 9, millions of Afghans braved threats of violence and intimidation to go to the polls in the nation’s first presidential election. The election, coming less than one year after Afghanistan ratified a new constitution, is an encouraging sign of how much has been accomplished since 2001. The election alone, however, will not solve Afghanistan’s problems — which threaten to undo all the progress of the last three years.

The new government must move to tackle such problems as warlords, a booming drug economy and the slow pace of disarmament — all while striving to raise the standard of living in a desperately poor country. The international community must remain engaged in Afghanistan. Democracy has barely taken root — and the government still needs strong, continued international assistance in order to succeed.    

High voter turnout in the presidential election reflects the high expectations that Afghans hold for their new government. According to Take the Guns Away: Afghan Voices on Security and Elections, a survey conducted by the Human Rights Research and Advocacy Consortium, 84 percent of respondents believe that the elections will bring positive change to Afghanistan.

The survey also found that 88 percent of Afghans want the government to do more to reduce the power of warlords.

Afghanistan produces over 70 percent of the world’s opium. And profits from drugs create a tax base for insecurity, funding everyone from warlords to drug barons to the Taliban. Any drug control policy must focus on law enforcement — and on providing alternative livelihoods to poor farmers who grow opium in order to survive.

At the same time, Afghanistan is still awash in weapons — the legacy of over two decades of near constant warfare. Disarmament is critical in order to break the power of warlords and restore security to the country. According to Take the Guns Away, almost two-thirds of Afghans believe that disarmament is the single most important factor to improve security in Afghanistan.

Yet, according to Speaking Out: Afghan Opinions on Rights and Responsibilities — another survey by the Human Rights Research and Advocacy Consortium, Afghans living in "safer" areas of the country are seeing real changes in their lives and feel more optimistic about the future.

The new government now has a mandate from the people to tackle these problems, and progress must be made before the parliamentary elections in the spring.


                                                   
                      



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