ror of democracy is highly critical and significant. Political institutions must demon-
strate their loyalty to the Government (state) of Afghanistan. So long as the difference
of opinions and sound competition among political trends are at the service of the
people of Afghanistan, the country will benefit. The principle of loyalty to the Gov-
ernment of Afghanistan, state in the context of people, sovereignty and democracy are
the principles that can’t be ignored. Cooperation, competitions and efforts all need to
happen but for the service of the people and strengthening the Government. The com-
petition of different visions to adopt best approaches to give the people of Afghanistan
the chance for free choice would lead to further safety of the society as well as polit-
ical system.
I want to assure the people of Afghanistan and their elected representatives that
the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is the servant of the nation
subject to the law and will fully abide by the decisions of the state.
It is very difficult to strengthen state institutions, ensure the maintenance of law
and order, end interference, beat terrorism, fight corruption and reduce poverty unless
we improve coordination among state entities and harmonize the national and inter-
national resources.
Dear distinguished members of the National Assembly,
When the Interim Administration was established, the state system was in a com-
plete state of disarray. The political, economic, social and cultural infrastructures of
the country were totally destroyed. Different parts of the country were ruled by var-
ious armed factions and had their own styles of administration. Administration sys-
tem was dismantled. Roads were in state of disrepair. There were no health services
and the status of education system was of most concern. The government treasury
was empty and public funds and property had lost its true sense. In such a situa-
tion came very worrying the Interim administration taking control of the political
leadership.
From the day one, despite all these challenges, we have tried our utmost to imple-
ment the Bonn Agreement [reached by various Afghan factions meeting in Bonn, Ger-
many, in December 2001] with full integrity. This Agreement involved two commit-
ted sides: Afghanistan to pave the ground and facilitate implementation of the
Agreement and the international community to support in military, security, economic
and political areas. With support from [the] international community, Afghanistan has
had the following achievements in the last four years:
Rule of Law
The convention of the Emergency Loya Jirga [a conclave of senior leaders in June
2002] was the first step towards participation of Afghan citizens in the political life
of their country. This Loya Jirga to some extent filled the legal vacuum and kick-
started the realization of the Bonn agreement based on the predetermined timeline.
The establishment of the Constitution Drafting and Review commissions, the draft-
ing of the constitution and subsequently the convention of the Constitutional Loya
Jirga [a conclave of senior leaders in December 2003 that drafted a new constitu-
tion] for final approval were part of our concerted efforts towards building a state
based on rule of law.
618 AFGHANISTAN