top of page
Asian Institute of Research, Journal Publication, Journal Academics, Education Journal, Asian Institute
Asian Institute of Research, Journal Publication, Journal Academics, Education Journal, Asian Institute

Journal of Social and Political

Sciences

ISSN 2615-3718 (Online)

ISSN 2621-5675 (Print)

asia insitute of research, journal of social and political sciences, jsp, aior, journal publication, humanities journal, social journa
asia insitute of research, journal of social and political sciences, jsp, aior, journal publication, humanities journal, social journa
asia insitute of research, journal of social and political sciences, jsp, aior, journal publication, humanities journal, social journa
asia insitute of research, journal of social and political sciences, jsp, aior, journal publication, humanities journal, social journa
crossref
doi
open access

Published: 19 January 2025

Institutional Deficit and its Effect on Afghan Political Order: Narrative of Decay within the Government

Abdullah Yaqubi, Sayed Mahdi Hussainy

Balkh University, Afghanistan

journal of social and political sciences
pdf download

Download Full-Text Pdf

doi

10.31014/aior.1991.08.01.543

Pages: 15-32

Keywords: Institutional Deficit, Political Order, Rule of Law, Nepotism, Separation of Powers, Constitution

Abstract

The Bonn Agreement signed on December 5, 2001 is considered as the starting point for establishing a democratic government in Afghanistan. The new government created hope for a bright and progressive future for the international community and Afghans with the slogan of commitment to the rule of law, accountability, and efficiency in services. However, the reality of Afghanistan tragedy indicates a severe deficit in the government-committed institutions. The constitution, as the most critical institution, provided the ground for emerging a king in the clothes of the president. The strong presidential structure with the "president as king" approach failed to establish political order and democracy, as well as planting the seeds for the lack of accountability and flagrant violation of laws, resulting in abuse the power by officials and even members of the National Assembly. The law and institutions failed to control people within the government and no one paid attention to its implementation or non-implementation, resulting in setting the stage for the crisis of legitimacy. The present study aims to assess the method of weakening the political order by the institutional deficit during the last 20 years. Based on the hypothesis, the institution's insignificance, as well as institutional noncompliance and instability within the government led to the concentration of power and weakening of government efficiency, rule of law, and accountability. The historical institutionalism theory proposed by Robinson and Acemoglu was used to test the hypothesis. This study was conducted by conceptual analysis with explanatory approach. The data were collected based on the document-library information and the references are presented based on the APA method.

References

  1. Acemoglu, Daron., Robinson, Simon A. (2005). Institutions as a Fundamental Cause of Long-Run Growth, Elsevier B.V. Vol,1, p.386-414. https://economics.mit.edu/sites/default/files/publications/institutions-as-the-fundamental-cause-of-long-run-.pdf

  2. Acemoglu, Daron., Robinson, James A. (2016). Paths to Inclusive Political Institutions, Economic History of Warfare and State Formation Journal, p. 3-50. https://economics.mit.edu/sites/default/files/publications/Paths%20to%20Inclusive%20Political%20Institutions.pdf

  3. Acemoglu, Daron., Robinson, James A. (2019). The Narrow Corrido, States Societies and the Fate of Liberty, Penguin, New York.

  4. Agu, Sunny N. (2024). Separation of Powers in Baron de Montesquieu: Philosophical Appraisal, Indonesian Journal of Interdisciplinary Research in Science and Technology, Vol.2(1), p. 37-58. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/378060266_Separation_of_Powers_in_Baron_de_Montesquieu_Philosophical_Appraisal

  5. Akbar, Shaharzad, Akbar, Zubaida. (2011). Elections and Conflict in Afghanistan, International Policy Analysis Journal, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Global Policy and Development Hiroshimastr Germany, Vol.28: https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/iez/08587.pdf

  6. Brinks, Daniel M, Levitsky, Steven, Murillo, Maria. (2019). Understanding Institutional Weakness, Power and Design in Latin American Institutions, Cambridge University Press.

  7. Constitution of Afghanistan, chapter 3(3 January 2004). https://www.refworld.org/docid/404d8a594.html

  8. Constale, Pamela. (2020, June).In pursuit of powerful allies, Afghan government rewards a notorious figure, The Washington Post(WP)Democracy Dies in Darkness. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/afghanistan-ghani-dostum-marshal/2020/07/21/01c795f2-cb5b-11ea-99b0-8426e26d203b_story.html

  9. Darnolf, Stafan, Smith, Scott S. (2019, August). Breaking, Not Bending: Afghan Elections Require Institutional Reform, Washington DC, United States Institute of Peace, Special Report, No.454. https://www.usip.org/publications/2019/08/breaking-not-bending-afghan-elections-require-institutional-reform

  10. Deshiari, Hossein. (2020).US Foreign Policy in Afghanistan, Tehran: Mizan.

  11. Eddy, Jon. (2009). Rule of Law in Afghanistan: The Intrusion of Reality. Journal of International Cooperation Studies, Vol.17(2). p.1-23. https://www.research.kobe-u.ac.jp/gsics-publication/jics/eddy_17-2.pdf

  12. Fukuyama, Francis. (2014). Political Order and Political Decay: From the Industrial Revolution to the Globalization of Democracy, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York: St.West18th.press.

  13. Giacudi, Eruni. (2015, April 1-2). Separation of Powers in Action: Vote of No Confidence in Sepenta during the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Case Study, Kabul: Research and EvaluationUnit.https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/1294779/1226_1430742590_1509e-separation-of-powers-in-afghanistan-theory-and-practice.pdf

  14. Giacudi, Eruni. (2015). Separation of Powers in Action: Vote of No Confidence in Sepenta during the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Case Study, Kabul: Research and Evaluation

  15. Unit.https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/1294779/1226_1430742590_1509e-separation-of-powers-in-afghanistan-theory-and-practice.pdf

  16. Hamidi, Farid, Giacudi, Eruni. (2015, March). Separation of Powers in the Constitution of Afghanistan: A Thematic Study, Kabul: Research and Evaluation Unit. https://areu.org.af/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/1507E-Saperation-of-Powers-Under-the-Afghan-Constitution-A-Case-Study-WEB.pdf/

  17. Hamidi, Farid, Jayakody, Aruni.(2015).Separation of Powers under the Afghan Constitution: A case Study, Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit. https://areu.org.af/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/1507E-Saperation-of-Powers-Under-the-Afghan-Constitution-A-Case-Study-WEB.pdf/

  18. Hobbes, Thomas, Gaskin, J. C. A (1998). Leviathan, Oxford University press.

  19. Hussaini, Sayed R. (2022). Constitutional Design as the Primary Cause of a Political Tragedy: A Case Study of Afghanistan’s 2004 Constitution, Wolverhampton Law Journal, Vol.6, No.1. https://www.wlv.ac.uk/media/departments/marketing-and-communications/(2022)-7-WLJ-3.pdf

  20. Huntington, Samuel P. (1973). Political Order in Changing Societies, London, Yale University Press.

  21. Ibrahimi, Yaqub S. (2019). Afghanistan’s Political Development Dilemma: The Centralist State Versus a Centrifugal Society, Journal of South Asian Development, Vol 14,(1),p.40-61.https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0973174119839843

  22. International Crisis Group. (2017, April 10). Afghanistan: The Future of the National Unity Government, Asia Report N. 285.https://www.crisisgroup.org/asia/south-asia/afghanistan/285-afghanistan-future-national-unity-government

  23. Jalali, Au. (2015). Forging Afghanistan’s National Unity Government, United States Institute of Peace (PeaceBrief), Washington DC, 202.457.1700, pp.183. https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/PB183-Forging-Afghanistans-National-Unity-Government.pdf

  24. Kissinger, Henry. (2014). World Order, Penguin Press, US.

  25. Kamali, Mohammad Hashem. (2014, August 9) Ten Years after the Passage of the Afghan Constitution: What are the Main Issues? Kabul, Research and Evaluation Unit. https://areu.org.af/publication/1416/

  26. Karimi, Hossein Ali. (2021, January 2). Reducing the functions of the parliament under the heavy shadow of corruption charges, Etilaat Roz.https://www.etilaatroz.com/115261/reducing-functions-of-parliament-under-heavy-shadow-of-corruption-allegations/

  27. Larson, Anna. (2015, March). Political Parties in Afghanistan, Washington DC, United States Institute of Peace, Special Report. No.362. https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/SR362-Political-Parties-in-Afghanistan.pdf

  28. Latif F,Jora,Mahmmodi,Murtaza.(2016).Politics and Government in Afghanistan, Tehran, Fozhan press.

  29. Levitsky, Steven, Murillo, María Victoria. (2009). Variation in Institutional Strength, Annual Review of Political ScienceVol,12,p.115–33. https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev.polisci.11.091106.121756

  30. Linder Auditorium: Graduate School of Development Policy and Practice (GSDPP). (2013,10 May). The Origins of Political Order, Mapungubwe, (Paper presentation) Fukuyama, Francis, institute for strategic reflection, University of Cape Town. https://mistra.org.za/mistra-media/the-origins-of-political-order/

  31. March, James G, Olsen, Johan P. (1998). The Institutional Dynamics of International Political Orders, International Organization Journal, 54(4). pp 943-969. https://library.fes.de/libalt/journals/swetsfulltext/5333875.pdf

  32. Mazedi, Ali Agha, Raja, Nowruz. (2017). Constitutional Violations in 13 Years, Afghanistan Freedom House, No 2. https://pajhwok.com/wpcontent.pdf

  33. Mehrdad, Mujib. (2023). Underestimating the Local Understanding of Problems: The Tragedy of Governance and Peace in Afghanistan, American Institute of Afghanistan Studies and the US Institute of Peace in Washington, DC. https://afghan-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/M.Mehrdad-Underestimating-the-Local-Understanding-of-Problems.pdf

  34. Nayab, Seyad. (2016). Explaining Features on the Theoretical Device of new institutionalism, Comparative Economy of Islamic Azad University Journals, 1(3), 61-83. https://economics.ihcs.ac.ir/article_2430.html

  35. Niknami, Roxana, Abolhoseiny, Maryam. (2022) Intra-Institutional Dynamics and Impact on US-Russian Track-Two Diplomacy, Journal of Central Eurasia Studies, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Vol. 16, No. 1, Spring & Summer 2023, pp. 345-372. https://jcep.ut.ac.ir/article_92556.html

  36. Noorzad, Abdul Nasser. (2021). Security Crisis in Afghanistan: With an Emphasis on Geographical Factor, Kabul: Kabul University.

  37. Osmani, Ziaolldin,Niakooee, Seyad Amir.(2022).The impact of national and international factors on security challenges Afghanistan (2021-2008), Iranian Research Letter of International Politics, Vol. 10,(2),pp:207-244. https://irlip.um.ac.ir/article_41368.html

  38. Pasarli, Shamshad, Maliar, Zalmi. (2018, January). Parliament of Afghanistan:

  39. Duties and competencies listed in the Constitution and its performance after 20, Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit. https://areu.org.af/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/1901D-The-Afghan-Parliament-Constitutional-Mandate-versus-the-Practice-in-the-Post-2001-Context.pdf/

  40. Pasarlay, Shamshad. (2023). The Making and the Breaking of Constitutions in Afghanistan, International and Comparative Law Journal, University of Arizona, Vol. 40, No. 1. pp.60-102. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/669703

  41. Pajhwok, Khalil, Daribi, Zaki. (2018,June). The rule of families: A report on the role of influential political figures in administrative and financial corruption, Etilaat Roz.https://www.etilaatroz.com/49967/%D8%AD%DA%A9%D9%88%D9%85%D8%AA-%D8%AE%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%87%E2%80%8C%D9%87%D8%A7/

  42. Pippidi, Aline M. (2015). The Evolution of Political Order, Journal of Democracy and Johans Hopkins University press, Vol 26, (4), pp. 170-175. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283787372_The_Evolution_of_Political_Order

  43. Sadr, Omar. (2021).The Republic and Its Enemies: The Status of the Republic in Afghanistan, Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies (AISS 2021),p.72.https://aiss.af/assets/aiss_publication/The-Republic-and-Its-Enemies-English.pdf

  44. Shapiro, Martin. (1997). The Problems of Independent Agencies in the United States and the European Union', Journal of European Public Policy, no,4.p. 91-276. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/The-problems-of-independent-agencies-in-the-United-Shapiro/d14410ad796ac726cac1e2b482576b4c7c38c043

  45. Shahrani, Nazif. (2018, January). The Afghan President Has More Powers Than a King, (Aljazeera, 3 January 2018).

  46. https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2018/1/3/the-afghan-president-has-more-powers-than-a-king

  47. Soltani, Lotf Ali. (2019, July 22). The Afghan parliament is the home of corruption and lawlessness, Etilaat Roz, Vol 8,p. 5.https://www.etilaatroz.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/1774.pdf

  48. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). (2014, October 30).Quarterly Report to the United States Congress.https://www.sigar.mil/pdf/quarterlyreports/dari/2014-10-30.pdf

  49. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). (2016, September). Corruption in Conflict: Lessons From the US Experience in Afghanistan. https://www.sigar.mil/pdf/lessonslearned/sigar-16-58-ll.pdf

  50. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). (2021, August) What We Need to Learn: Lessons From Twenty Years of Afghanistan Reconstruction,Arlington,Virgina,22202.https://www.sigar.mil/pdf/lessonslearned/SIGAR-21-46-LL.pdf

  51. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). (2022). Why the Afghan Government Collapsed, Vol. 23,No. (5)https://www.sigar.mil/pdf/evaluations/SIGAR-23-05-IP.pdf

  52. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). (2023, March 2). The Factors Leading to The Collapse of The Afghan Government And Its Security Forces,p.30. https://www.sigar.mil/pdf/speeches/SIGAR_John_Sopko_David_Young_Berlin_Speech_2023-03-02.

  53. Steinmo, Sven. (2013). Institutionalism, European University Institute, Italy. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323838673

  54. Vincent, Andrew. (1987). Theories of the State, Wiley-Blackwell, New York.

  55. Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). (2003, July)The Political Institutions: Parties, Elections and Parliaments, A summary of the four methods reports, Division for Democratic Governance.https://cdn.sida.se/publications/files/sida3968en-participation-in-democratic-governance.pdf

  56. Their, Alex, Worden, Scott. (2020). Political Stability in Afghanistan A 2020 Vision and Roadmap, Washington DC, United States Institute of Peace, Special Report 408. https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/2017-07/sr408-political-stability-in-afghanistan-a-2020-vision-and-roadmap.pdf

  57. Transparency International: The Global Coalition Against Corruption (TI). (2015, Februaty). Corruption: Lessons from the international mission in Afghanistan.https://www.cids.no/transparency-international-uk-defence-and-security-programme-2015-corruption-lessons-from-the-international-mission-in-afghanistan.6587781-579947.html

  58. Transparency International: the Global Coalition Against Corruption (TI). (2021, January).Corruption Perceptions Index 2020.https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2020

  59. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Vienna (UNODC). (2012, October).Corruption In Afghanistan: Recent Patterns And Trends.https://dataunodc.un.org/sites/dataunodc.un.org/files/microdata/corruption_afghanistan_2013.pdf

  60. United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). (2017, February 6).Afghanistan Annual Report on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict.https://unama.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/protection_of_civilians_in_armed_c nflict_annual_report_2016_final280317.pdf.

  61. United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). (2021, January).Afghanistan Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Midyear Update.https://unama.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/unama_poc_midyear_report_2021_26_july.pdf

  62. United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). (2021, February).Afghanistan Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Annual Report 2020.: http://unama.unmissions.org/protection-of-civilians-reports

  63. World Justice Project (WJP 2019). The Rule of Law in Afghanistan, Key Findings From the 2018 Extended General Population Poll. https://worldjusticeproject.org/our-work/publications/country-reports/rule-law-afghanistan-2018-report

  64. Yazdanfar, Adel. (2020, December 29). Afghanistan and the choice dilemma: Persistence of the presidential system or transition to a parliamentary system? Etilaat Roz.https://www.etilaatroz.com/115009/afghanistan-and-dilemma-of-choice-permanence-of-presidential-system-or-transition-to-a-parliamentary-system/

bottom of page