We need to define the federal system first. In a federal system, several independent states are united by a constitution, maintaining some degree of internal independence, adopting a single international identity, and giving the federal central government a wide range of authority.
This type of political system exists in developed countries of the world such as the United States of America, the federal government of Germany, Pakistan, India, Canada, Switzerland, and 16 other countries. Racial, religious, and linguistic diversity in some countries compelled them to move toward federalism to create a system responsive to the needs of the people. This system was first implemented in the United States of America in 1787 A.D. The recent election of Rishi Sunak, an Indian, as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, demonstrated that in the federal system, the emphasis is not on race, but on ideas and management ability. However, a few miles away in Afghanistan, the government is always headed by a single individual or people, and ethnic, linguistic, and religious tensions are rising daily. These situations have always undermined the government and given neighbors a reason to interfere. The fall of the republic government and the re-establishment of the Taliban regime in the country is widely regarded as the most visible consequences of the previous government system’s weakness.
Afghanistan is currently governed by the Taliban regime, and calls for the establishment of a federal system can be heard everywhere. It appears that both proponents and opponents of Afghanistan becoming a federal state have specific arguments for their positions. However, the real question here is; Does Afghanistan have the necessary conditions for federalization?
To change from any other system to federalism, conditions and doctrines must be examined by experts. Here are some of the federalization requirements:
- A powerful and comprehensive government.
- The absence of separatist motives and a common sense of nationalism.
- Maintaining political independence and non-interference of neighboring countries.
- Funding the costs of the federal bureaucracy system.
- The growth of political awareness among the people.
- Equal economic growth and development in all parts of the country.
- Powerful political parties and civil institutions exist.
The first requirement for establishing a federal system is a powerful and comprehensive government entity; however, the Taliban regime rules in a dictatorial manner in Afghanistan, and in some parts of the country, military movements with a libertarian spirit are active under the names of resistance and freedom fronts, etc. There are also the movements of international terrorist groups such as ISIS, which is automatically considered a big challenge and obstacle to the federalization of Afghanistan. More seriously, the Taliban are staunch opponents of federalism and adhere to the “Islamic Emirate” system.
The second prerequisite is the presence of a shared national sense and the absence of separatist motivations. Fortunately, there is a sense of mutual acceptance among the Afghan people. People from different provinces live in brotherly consonance, but there are always a few people who muddy the waters and push people toward separatism. People have always been outraged by these talks.
Maintaining political independence and non-interference of neighboring countries is another requirement of federalization. Afghanistan has been suffering from this problem throughout history, and now there is no political independence. Unfortunately, in the current situation, the involvement of neighbors has increased more than ever. So, if we want a federal Afghanistan, we must find a solution to this problem. Otherwise, the result will be the opposite of what we expect and the country will be led to civil war and disintegration.
The most important requirement of this type of system is funding the expenses of the federal bureaucracy; because the federal government has many institutions, their multiplicity naturally necessitates adequate financial resources that need to be met.
The growth of political awareness among the people is also vital in a federal system. People should make decisions in the light of the political and social situation, not like during the republic era when they sold their votes to the candidates in exchange for 300 Afghanis. The growth of people’s political awareness is related to their literacy and education. In a country where more than 60% of its people are not literate and two-thirds of the literate population do not have higher education, literacy is a big challenge. Appropriate measures should be taken to solve this challenge so that the nation reaches political maturity and social consciousness emerges; Because otherwise, the mafia will take over the power with money as they did in the past.
One of the other requirements of federalization is the consistency of economic growth and development across the country. This requirement, in my opinion, is less stringent in Afghanistan. As an example, the north of the country has natural resources of oil, gas, and coal and has many fertile lands, while the south of the country is facing a shortage of fossil mineral resources and fertile lands. This issue will lead to unbalanced growth, which will stimulate social riots and separatist mindsets.
The existence of powerful political parties and civic institutions as the foundations of the federal system is the next requirement. Although civic institutions in Afghanistan had numerous activities after 2001, the society is still traditional, and the country’s political parties have an ethnic identity. There should be powerful parties comprised of people from all walks of life.
The aforementioned arguments suggest that obstacles must be removed for federalization in Afghanistan. Of course, we need to reflect and think deeply if we want to make significant changes. Despite all of these obstacles, the only solution to the long-standing issues of this devastated country is the establishment of a federal system.
Javad Samimi-Contributor and Analyst, Hasht-e Subh Daily
