Archived Document
Priority 5. Help advance Afghanistan’s capacity for democratic governance by contributing to effective, accountable public institutions and electoral processes.
By 2011, Canada expects that national, provincial and local institutions in Kandahar province will exhibit an increasing capacity for democratic governance in the deliberation and delivery of public programs and services, and in carrying out democratic elections.
During this quarter, two issues were the focus of discussions on governance: electoral reform and measures targeting corruption.
With respect to electoral reform, the Independent Elections Commission announced in January that the parliamentary elections would be delayed from May until September 2010, due to financial issues, security concerns, and the need to implement technical improvements to prevent fraud. Further complicating the political environment was the Afghan Parliament’s rejection in January of several of President Karzai’s cabinet nominees, which left several ministries lacking a strong mandate for new policy and program initiatives.
In February, Canada, alongside its international partners, publicly expressed its concerns with a presidential decree, signed by President Karzai, to amend Afghanistan’s Electoral Law. Our core concerns were that the decree would effectively grant the President control over appointments to the Electoral Complaints Commission, thereby weakening its independence, and that its language could have a potentially adverse effect on the political representation of women. The decree was rejected by the Lower House of Parliament on March 31.
With respect to measures targeting anti-corruption, the Afghan government pledged, as part of commitments made during the London Conference, to develop clear benchmarks and plans as a foundation for addressing key drivers of corruption, including the empowerment of the High Office of Oversight to investigate and sanction corrupt officials. Following up on this commitment, President Karzai signed an anti-corruption Presidential Administrative Decree in mid-March, strengthening the enforcement powers and investigative capabilities of the High Office of Oversight.
In addition, capacity building efforts have been assisting the Ministry of Finance with streamlining revenue sources and improving tax collection. An anti-corruption department has also been created within the ministry.
Through the National Solidarity Program,
supported by Canada, more than 21,000
Community Development Councils (CDCs)
have been elected throughout Afghanistan.
CDCs identify local development priorities,
strengthening community-level governance
and reconstruction efforts.
Canada continues to provide Afghanistan with support for institutional capacity building in the area of sub-national governance. Increased U.S. presence in Afghanistan complements this effort through funding for training provincial and district public servants in core management functions.
Canadian support for infrastructure development in city districts is also complemented by U.S. funding to the Afghanistan Municipal Support Program, which provides a range of basic training in computers, urban planning and waste management.
