The first Afghan attempt at democracy
as experienced from within
Discovering a forgotten key page of the
modern history of Afghanistan
As early as 1964, Afghanistan endowed itself
with a democratic Constitution based on an
english model. Nobody has ever uttered a word
about it! At that time, Afghan women seated
in parliament, sporting occidental attire.
Kaboul, the capital, housed four foreign universities.
In short, Afghanistan - the only non-christianized
and non-colonized country of Asia - did not
look at all like what we currently think of
it...
In order to reveal this hidden page of their
past to young exiled Afghans, Leila Enayat-Seraj
translated the diaries of her father, one
of the artisans of this major political evolution
in her country.
Sayed Qassem Rishtya has been a diplomat
and a minister in the Afghan government for
40 years. His functions put him in the core
of some of the most crucial events of the
modern history of his country.
An intimate assistant of King, presidents
first ministers and other politic leaders,
he actually participated to the drafting committee
of the first Afghan democratic Constitution,
voted in 1964. On top of having been one of
the key writers of this model document - in
addition to his charge of two ministeries
(Information and Cultur as well as Finances)
- he was one of the key actors of the political
actions that led to its ratification.
Strong promotor of this unprecedented text,
he won respect from his peers but encountered
some tough opponens. As for to those - and
according to his moral principles - he choosed
to retire from political life rather than
endanger the Constitution on which he spent
a life of efforts and ideals.
Du même auteur
