Guest Columnist
With the turmoil of Afghanistan's contested presidential election still fresh and the debate over our nation's own commitment to the country ongoing, one could be forgiven for overlooking one of the few bright spots in an otherwise murky situation: the Afghan parliament.
In the wake of its recent rejection of President Hamid Karzai's slate of cabinet nominees, this long-neglected institution is finally receiving the attention it deserves -- but it will be critical for the United States and the international community to draw the right lessons from this episode as they seek to chart an exit from the war-torn country.
For the past three years I have served as chairman of the House Democracy Partnership, a bipartisan commission that works with partner legislatures in 14 developing democracies to strengthen their governance capacity. Our commission works with legislatures on every continent and at all stages of development, but all of our partners are united by a common interest in becoming more effective, independent, and democratic institutions.
Nowhere has this been more evident -- or more unexpected -- than in our partnership with the Wolesi Jirga, the lower house of the Afghan parliament. Built from scratch in the wake of the overthrow of the Taliban, the Wolesi Jirga is one of the world's most diverse legislatures: Warlords and former Communists sit alongside Western-educated businessmen and courageous women risking their lives in the service of their country. At times, this amalgam of interests has produced undesirable results, as in 2008 when the parliament approved a family law that imposed severe restrictions on women's rights.
Overall, however, the Afghan parliament has been a rare ray of sunshine in a government that has become notorious for its corruption and fecklessness. The House Democracy Partnership has traveled to Kabul on three occasions since the parliament was elected in 2005 (most recently in November 2009) and has hosted Afghan MPs and staff for numerous training programs in the United States. In every instance, my colleagues and I have been impressed by the earnest engagement displayed by our Afghan counterparts and inspired by their desire for a greater say in their country's future. This includes Wolesi Jirga Speaker Yunus Qanooni, who is poised to play an important role in organizing Afghanistan's nascent political opposition as a key ally of former presidential candidate Dr. Abdullah Abdullah.
In recent weeks, this desire for a greater voice has been manifest in the parliament's rejection of a majority of President Karzai's nominees for his second-term cabinet. Its motives for doing so have been mixed -- ties to corruption, association with warlords, or simple incompetence -- and, to be sure, its ministerial preferences haven't corresponded perfectly to those of the international community. But the parliament's assertion of its constitutional power of advice and consent -- something we take for granted in our own country -- represents a remarkable step that would have been highly unlikely, if not unthinkable, during Karzai's first term.
Unfortunately, rather than embracing the parliament's newfound assertiveness as a healthy sign of a democracy gaining its sea legs, some Western diplomats have complained that the body's deliberations are delaying international aid efforts. According to a recent editorial in The Washington Post, these aggrieved Westerners include the top United Nations official in Afghanistan, who has called the parliament's actions "a setback" and "a distraction." These officials would do well to remember that the success of their mission depends on Afghan ministers who can perform their duties capably and with integrity. More broadly, as the Post correctly concludes, this show of legislative independence should be welcomed as a step toward the very self-governance capacity that will allow the international community to bring its military presence in Afghanistan to a responsible conclusion.
As President Obama prepares to address the country on the state of our own union, difficult decisions await regarding the future of our involvement in a conflict that has now entered its ninth year. While we may disagree at times on the best way forward, the progress that the Afghan people themselves are making toward a more perfect union -- however fragile it may be -- deserves our attention and support.
U.S. Rep. David Price, D-N.C. 4, holds a doctorate in political science from Yale University.
