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Will loya jirga usher in peace?

KABUL JUNE 21. The extraordinary gathering of Afghans that chose a new Government this week has won mixed reviews. Critics complain the warlords left with their power intact; supporters hail the new administration as a step toward democracy.

Perhaps the greatest achievement is that the grand council, or loya jirga, was held at all — and without the violence that doomsayers had predicted. Before they adjourned their nine-day meeting late on Wednesday, the 1,650 delegates elected Hamid Karzai as President by secret ballot and approved his choices for key Cabinet posts by show of hands. They chose regional representatives from among the delegates to stay behind and form a commission to establish a new legislature.

The process was tarnished by allegations of intimidation, pressure and threats of reprisals. Nevertheless, it was the closest thing to a democratic process that Afghans have experienced in more than a generation. However, the real test of the loya jirga will come when the delegates return to their homes in the towns and villages of this shattered country and relate their experiences during the nine-day assembly. If Afghans accept the Government, it will have a chance of bringing real peace for the first time in 23 years.

It is too early to tell how the message will be received, and there are signs that some aspects of the loya jirga will not go down well. — AP

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