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Karzai to head interim Afghan Govt.
By Vaiju Naravane
KOENIGSWINTER (GERMANY), DEC. 5. Afghan delegations meeting near Bonn for U.N.-brokered talks today signed a historic agreement creating an interim administration for their war-torn country. There was quiet jubilation, embracing and prolonged applause as the agreement was signed. The German Chancellor, Mr. Gerhard Schroeder, and the Foreign Minister, Mr. Joschka Fischer, attended the signing ceremony.
Mr. Hamid Karzai, the 44-year-old charismatic southern Pashtun commander who is battling Taliban forces outside his native city of Khandahar, will head the six-month interim administration which will take over the running of the country on December 22.
It's been a win-win situation for the Northern Alliance, whose quiet but determined leader, Mr. Yunus Qanooni, who retains his present position as Interior Minister, proved a remarkably skilful negotiator. The Northern Alliance has been awarded 17 of the 23 ministerial posts, including those of Interior, Foreign Affairs and Defence. In addition, it has three of the five vice-chairman posts. This is also a clear victory for the Young Turks _ educated, moderate technocrats _ over the old guard, like the nominal President, Mr. Burhanuddin Rabbani, or Gen. Rashid Dostum. Although the agreement expresses thanks to Mr Rabbani, he has clearly been sidelined.
The administration is made up of 29 persons _ a chairman, five vice-chairmen and 23 Ministers. Sources say all the portfolios have yet to be finalised and the number of persons in the administration could go up to 30. Two women feature in the interim administration _ Dr. Sima Samar from the pro-Zahir Shah Rome group will be vice-chairperson and Minister of Women's Affairs, while Dr. Suhaila Seddiqi from Quetta has been named Minister of Public Health.
The Iran-backed Cyprus group has not joined the interim administration. The Pakistan-backed Peshawar group has won three Ministries _ Public Health, Transport and Irrigation. Significantly, Water and Electricity have been retained by the Northern Alliance and has been awarded to Mr. Shaker Kargar, who is also a vice-chairman. Although clearly a loser this time, Pakistan attempted to put a brave face on the outcome of the talks with the Foreign Minister, Mr. Abdul Sattar, saying, "We were delighted to hear the news."
The Government of India has received quiet kudos from many observers for the extremely "discreet and helpful role it played, using its influence to smoothen the way," to quote one source. The Indian side headed by the Ambassador, Mr. Satindar Lambha, is said to have worked closely with the U.S. delegation. "The interim Afghan administration reflects the country's ethnic, regional and religious minority and is a wisely and carefully balanced body... the Afghans have begun to realise the importance of compromise," Mr. Christophe Jaffrelot, director of Paris' Centre for Research in International Relations, told The Hindu.
Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, United Nations Special Representative to Afghanistan, in his address to the plenary session that immediately followed the signing ceremony this morning, said, "There have always been moments when the world has closed its eyes to the suffering of the people of Afghanistan." Now, he said, the international community was resolutely committed to helping Afghanistan, but warned that the application of the agreement would affect the world's determination to stand by Afghanistan.
"The agreement will be judged by what it achieves... You cannot afford to fail the people of Afghanistan this time... International determination is strong now, but it will fade unless the interim administration and the structures that follow it live up to the task entrusted to them," Mr. Brahimi said.
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