Afghanistan's Flawed Constitutional Process
The current process of designing a constitution for Afghanistan is unlikely to provide a stable basis for the settlement of future conflict. ICG recommends that the Constitutional Loya Jirga planned in October 2003 be dropped. Instead, national elections mandated for 2004 should be used to create a national assembly that can conclude work on and adopt a new constitution. Those managing the drafting of the new constitution must see that without vigorous public debate, even a well-drafted constitution reflecting compromises will lack negotiated consensus and thus legitimacy.
Baghdad: A Race Against the Clock
ICG Middle East Briefing
The U.S. administration in Baghdad, the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) must urgently address Iraqis’ immediate concerns – personal security, the restoration of basic amenities and social welfare – before the blistering heat of summer sets in. If it fails to do so – and establish a better rapport with Iraqis – there is a genuine risk that serious trouble will break out. With all eyes in the Middle East focused on Iraq, the coming weeks and months will also be critical for shaping regional perceptions of the U.S. ICG urges the CPA to restore public order and essential services, repair basic infrastructure, improve its own media capabilities and public profile, reconsider the sweeping de-Baathification edict and empower Iraqis by handing over day-to-day administration and accelerating elections at the local and institutional level.
For the full reports, please see CrisisWeb - http://www.crisisweb.org
The current process of designing a constitution for Afghanistan is unlikely to provide a stable basis for the settlement of future conflict. ICG recommends that the Constitutional Loya Jirga planned in October 2003 be dropped. Instead, national elections mandated for 2004 should be used to create a national assembly that can conclude work on and adopt a new constitution. Those managing the drafting of the new constitution must see that without vigorous public debate, even a well-drafted constitution reflecting compromises will lack negotiated consensus and thus legitimacy.
Baghdad: A Race Against the Clock
ICG Middle East Briefing
The U.S. administration in Baghdad, the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) must urgently address Iraqis’ immediate concerns – personal security, the restoration of basic amenities and social welfare – before the blistering heat of summer sets in. If it fails to do so – and establish a better rapport with Iraqis – there is a genuine risk that serious trouble will break out. With all eyes in the Middle East focused on Iraq, the coming weeks and months will also be critical for shaping regional perceptions of the U.S. ICG urges the CPA to restore public order and essential services, repair basic infrastructure, improve its own media capabilities and public profile, reconsider the sweeping de-Baathification edict and empower Iraqis by handing over day-to-day administration and accelerating elections at the local and institutional level.
For the full reports, please see CrisisWeb - http://www.crisisweb.org