State-Building Dilemma in Afghanistan

Haqmal Daudzai completed his Ph.D. at the Faculty of Law, Economics and Social Sciences at the University of Erfurt in Germany.

• List of AcronymsGlossaryPART ONE: INTRODUCTION, CONCEPTS AND THEORIESChapter 1: Introduction1.1 Research Hypothesis, Questions and Significance1.2 Methodology1.3 An Overview of the Literature1.4 The Structure of the ThesisChapter 2: Statebuilding Concepts and Definitions2.1 Statebuilding and Its Relevant Concepts2.2 What is the State?Chapter 3: Statebuilding Theories3.1 Classical and Dialectical Modernization Theories3.2 The Political Development Theory and the State-building Strategy3.3 ‘New’- Institutionalism Theory and the Political Institutional Approach3.4 Humanitarian Intervention Theory and State-buildingChapter 4: Statebuilding Components4.1 State Institutional Design: Presidential versus Parliamentary Democracies4.2 Consociational Democracy in Divided Societies4.3 Federalism4.4 Decentralization4.5 Administrative Decentralization4.6 Political Decentralization4.7 Fiscal DecentralizationPART TWO: HISTORICAL OVERVIEW AND A CRITICAL ANALYSISChapter 5: A Historical Overview of the Statebuilding in Afghanistan5.1 State, Society, and Politics in Afghanistan5.2 The Emergence of an Ethno-Confederation Afghanistan (1747-1880)5.3 State Modernization Attempts (1880-1963)5.4 The First Afghan ‘Democracy’ (1964-1973)5.5 The Formation of First Afghan Political Parties5.6 The Radical Shift from Monarchy to Republicanism, and the Failed Attempt of Communism5.7 Islam and the State in Afghanistan: from ‘Traditional Fundamentalism’ to ‘Political Islam’, and to Fundamental Extremism5.8 The Afghan Resistance and the Failure of Political Islam5.9 The Islamic Emirate of Taliban (1994-2001)Chapter 6: A Critical Analyses of the U.S. Post-Taliban Intervention in Afghanistan (2001-2014)6.1 The U.S. Post-Taliban Nation and Statebuilding Intervention6.2 The Bonn Agreement and Its Unfixable Flaws6.3 Ignoring Peace-Making in Afghanistan: A Prerequisite for Nation and State-Building6.4 The Re-Emergence of Taliban: A Major Obstacle to Peace-and State-Building Process6.5 Conflicting Regional Interests in Afghanistan6.6 The Installation of Ethnopolitical Elites and Warlords into State-men6.7 The Case of Balkh: The Kingdom of ‘Ustad’ Atta Mohammad Noor6.8 The Case of Bamyan: The De-facto Capital and Power-base of Hazara Elites6.9 The Case of Herat: The Fiefdom of Ismail Khan6.10 The Case of Nangrahar: Divided between Pashtun and Pashayie Ethnic Warlords6.11 The Case of Kandahar: Divided between Tribal Warlords and ElitesPART THREE: KEY ANALYSIS AND FINDINGSChapter 7: State Governmental Design and the Afghan Discourse7.1 The 2004 Afghan Constitution: An Unresolved Controversial Document7.2 The Rights of Women7.3 The Role of Islam7.4 The Electoral System7.5 Ethnic Identity vs. National Identity7.6 The Afghan Presidential Vs. Parliamentary State Institutional Design Discourse7.7 The Afghan Perception of Democracy7.8 The Afghan Perception of State Governmental Form7.9 The Proponents of Presidential Centralization7.10 The Advocates for a Sort of Parliamentary DecentralizationChapter 8: The Afghan Sub-National Administration8.1 Introduction8.2 Sub-national Formal and Informal Government Institutions8.3 Provincial Governor & Administration8.4 District Government8.5 Informal Governance of Jirgas and ShurasChapter 9: The Afghan Elected Provincial Councils and Their Role in the Sub-National Governance9.1 The Afghan Elected Provincial Councils9.2 The Oversight Authority of the Afghan PCs9.3 Conflict Resolution Role9.4 De-Facto Service Delivery: The Catalytic Role at Local Bureaucracy9.5 The Bridge between the People and Government: Building on State Legitimacy9.6 The Increasing Role of Afghan Female PC Representatives9.7 The Changing Face of Local Power: The Power of the Gun Leaves its Place to the Power of the Vote9.8 Lack of Enough Financial Means to the PC Led to Corruption9.9 The Elected Provincial Councils and the Power-Sharing Battle between Traditional and Newly Emerging Elites9.10 The Case of Balkh9.11 The Case of Bamyan9.12 The Case of Herat9.13 The Case of Nangrahar9.14 The Case of KandaharChapter 10: Conclusions and the Prospects for a Future Research10.1 Few Possible Alternatives to the Afghan Unitary Centralism10.2 Federalism for Afghanistan10.3 Semi-Presidentialism10.4 Unitary Decentralization10.5 The Afghan Sub-National Governance Institutions: Challenges and Opportunities10.6 The Afghan PC, a Potential Institution for a Moderate and Gradual Devolution10.7 Future Research ProspectsBibliographyAnnex 1: Expert Interview’s QuestionnairePart One: Demographic QuestionsPart Two: Background QuestionsPart Three: Focus group, the provincial government elected and appointed membersPart Four: General QuestionsAnnex 2: The Dari Version of the Presidential Decree on PC Oversight PowerIndex