Loya Jirga to be Formed - 2002-04-16

Loya Jirga is being formed - 2002-04-16. Afghanistan is preparing to elect a new transitional government through its council of elders, the Loya Jirga. We listen to a report from Voice of America correspondent, Alisha Roo, from Kabul about the process of this election. On Tuesday, Afghanistan takes its second step towards the culmination of its efforts to become a democracy. On this day, hundreds of leaders from various Afghan tribes meet in the village of Mardiyan, in Jowzjan province, to select the first regional representatives and to prepare for a larger gathering in May. Similar elections will be held in 380 other districts across Afghanistan for this purpose. All these elections will be monitored by United Nations inspectors. Then, representatives from each region will be sent to one of nine two-week gatherings created to limit the number of selected representatives attending the Loya Jirga. These selected representatives, numbering 1,051, will form the council of elders. This council will then decide who will lead the transitional government of Afghanistan until a democratic general election is held. According to a plan devised after the fall of the Taliban last December in Bonn, Germany, representatives must come from a wide range of all ethnic groups living in Afghanistan, as well as include women. The remaining 450 seats will be allocated to governmental organizations and Afghan institutions. It is expected that as the time for the Loya Jirga approaches, divisions and discord within Afghan society will increase. The current interim government of Afghanistan, led by Hamid Karzai, which has only been in power for six months, will end its term on June 22. Mr. Karzai, who is himself a Pashtun, enjoys the support of the United States and European governments. However, Afghan Tajiks, who fought alongside the U.S. military to oust the Taliban, support the last legitimate president of Afghanistan, Burhanuddin Rabbani. Anders Fange, head of the UN inspection group for the Loya Jirga election, believes that threats, bribery, and overt violence could undermine the election process. He believes that one should not expect to create a democratic paradise in Afghanistan overnight. If the council of elders reaches a desirable outcome, this will be the first step towards the peace process. For decades, the Loya Jirga or council of elders has played a crucial role in important decision-making within Afghanistan's tribal society.