AFGHANISTAN: Tribal opposition

As the US tries to introduce democracy in underdeveloped countries, it runs into the tribal structure. Afghan President Hamid Karzai has urged his cabinet to shed tribal and factional biases as part of his efforts to strengthen central government rule. Karzai's comments follow complaints from many Afghans about influence-peddling and factional favoritism in government institutions and doubts about the qualifications of some senior members of his administration. Earlier this month, Karzai set up a commission to implement governmental reforms which, among other steps, envisage cutting some cabinet posts and merging others. Since coming to power after a US-led coalition overthrew the Taliban in late 2001, Karzai has struggled to deal with unruly provincial power-brokers resisting his efforts to consolidate his rule outside Kabul, with some success After threatening last month to resign if provincial officials failed to hand over customs revenues to the central government, his tax-collectors unexpectedly netted millions of dollars. Karzai's government is dominated by the Northern Alliance faction which helped the US-led forces topple the Taliban. Karzai is also trying to reform the defense ministry controlled by the powerful military leader of the Northern Alliance, Mohammad Qasim Fahim, before July, when he aims to launch an ambitious drive to disarm 100,000 factional fighters. (Reuters, 6/26/03)

Ronald Hilton - 7/3/03