An Interview with Ahmad Behzad, Member of Parliament and Political Analyst

Why have the disputes over the September 18 Parliamentary elections not yet been resolved?

In my opinion, the major part of the conflict relates to the expectations of the Afghan government. The government, particularly President Hamid Karzai, put a lot of pressure on the Independent Election Commission (IEC) and the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) to change the election results.

The Attorney General’s office and the Supreme Court intervened to change the final results when Karzai’s tactics did not work. The government wants to create a subservient Parliament.

Is the stance of the Judiciary, along with the establishment of a special court to review election fraud, in line with the Constitution and the Election Law?

The attempt by the Judiciary to intervene in election-related issues is politically motivated; it has no legal basis. The Attorney General’s office ignored its main responsibility and interfered in the elections. It asked that the final results of the Parliamentary elections be annulled.

According to the Constitution, a special court may be established for specific reasons: to charge and put on trial the president, Cabinet ministers or members of the Judiciary or military. The Constitution does not mention the establishment of a court to adjudicate election-related issues.

What will be the composition of the new Parliament?

A: I think there will be two main groups: the critics of the Afghan government and its supporters. There will also be some independent Parliamentarians. In general, the new Parliament will be largely critical of the government and will monitor government activities more closely than the previous legislature.

As a prominent member of the opposition, what do you think about the position of the Change and Hope Coalition in the new Parliament?

The Change and Hope Coalition will form its decision-making committee within a few weeks after Parliament begins it work. We will be then able to specify the exact number of the opposition in the new body. I think two-third of the Parliamentarians will be critical of the government, with one-third supporting it.

What will be the top priorities of the new Parliament?

Close monitoring of the government’s activities; establishing a sound administration; and ensuring justice in distributing national and international aid to all parts of the country on an equal basis. For instance, there are provinces that do not have even one kilometer of paved road.

Such inequality has resulted in a major migration of Afghans to neighboring countries, as well as causing a huge influx of people into major cities such as Kabul, Herat, and Mazar-e-Sharif.

Another top priority will be to establish a committee apart from the other 18 commissions of the Parliament to monitor government activities.

There were many conflicts between the government and the previous Parliament; what will be the main challenges between these two powers this time?

I think the Afghan Parliament can act as a good reformer of the governmental system, using its legal and monitoring rights. The government should put Parliament’s decisions into practice in accordance with the Constitution. But this does not mean that the Parliament has to challenge the government.

For instance, the endorsement of a law by the president is the final stage of approving a law; when the president vetoes a law, a two-third majority in the Parliament can approve it; so there is no need for the president’s approval. The decision by the Parliament should be the final decision.

In your opinion, how much has the experience of the previous elections helped in institutionalizing democracy in Afghanistan?

The latest parliamentary elections were much better elections than the previous three. The candidates in the September 18 poll were able to receive information about their votes. They could complain if they faced problems. Such a situation paved the way for the transparency of the process.

The IEC stepped forward and recounted the fraudulent votes; this increased people’s trust in the transparency of the election process.

We can be optimistic about the institutionalization of democratic values in Afghanistan when the government respects the laws and lets election bodies work independently.