Afghan Constitution Offers Hope for Peace - Approved

Washington Post ^ | 1-04-04 | AP

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Afghan Constitution Offers Hope for Peace - Charter Amended to Grant Official Status to Northern Minority Languages

By Stephen Graham/The Associated Press Sunday, January 4, 2004; 2:58 PM

KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghans approved a new constitution on Sunday, embracing a deal shaped in three weeks of rancorous debate as a chance to cement a fragile peace and push ahead with reconstruction two years after a U.S.-led coalition ousted the Taliban regime.

The charter, ratified after a last-minute deal to recognize minority languages, creates a strong presidential system that the country's U.S.-backed interim leader Hamid Karzai says is critical to uniting a country torn by two decades of war.

But the haggling also irritated ethnic tensions that could cast a shadow over landmark presidential elections scheduled for June. Delegates said parliamentary elections would likely follow within six months after the presidential vote.

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I'm naturally interested in, but not that optimistic about how much the new constitution protects human rights and religious freedom.

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	Linda Carter is completely unrelated to Free Republic. But if I am going to have to post donation begs until the Freepathon is over, I'm going to occasionally post something I want! And there is only one way you can stop me!

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It sounds like they've made the president of the country so powerful, that only time will tell.