topic: | Democracy |
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located: | Afghanistan |
editor: | Shadi Khan Saif |
Over the course of the past several centuries, even before the end of the monarchy and advent of some sort of democracy in Afghanistan, what seriously undermined stability and state building in the country was the dearth of mechanisms for peaceful transfer of power.
Now, at this crucial juncture in history, if Afghans would manage to institutionalise democracy in a true sense and adhere to the principle of peaceful transfer of power, the era of peace and stability would not remain too distant.
Acknowledging the geostrategic location of the land-locked country often caught in the midst of rivaling global powers, one needs to explore the domestic perils to peace from a historic perspective.
The bitter rivalries among heirs to power, as well as aspiring leaders and groups, have more than once undermined the core foundations of state in Afghanistan throughout its turbulent history.
Turning a blind eye to this pressing issue would likely perpetuate the repeat of this vicious cycle of death and destruction. This is not an academic matter of limited interest, but an urgent need of current time, when the Taliban insurgents and various functional groups and parties are zealously looking for ways to capture power regardless of the means, consequences and, most importantly, will of the people of Afghanistan.
As a country synonymous with security hazards and sociopolitical hitches, Afghanistan can embrace these moments with responsibility and dignity in a bid to save its future generations from the evils of war.
After holding multiple landmark presidential polls in a relatively peaceful environment (by Afghanistan’s standards), the country has faced many difficult phases over the past two decades that any nascent democracy is feared to face; that, however, does not legitimise a bloody bulldozing of the entire governmental structure.
For the Afghan political elite and the leadership of the insurgents, as well as for the regional players, it is high time to demonstrate responsible maturity and let the culture of peaceful transfer of power become a norm here.
Let us not forget that from being a frontline state in the fight between the forces of the so-called ‘Free World’ and the perceived evil forces of Communism, in the 1980s, Afghanistan has now practically become the frontline state in the global fight against extremism and terrorism.
Hence, considering the fragility of the Afghan state, escaping moral responsibility is also not an option for an international community that has already invested generously here.
Image: Central Asian Peoples