ASDP

Afghanistan National Front

After the expulsion of the occupying Soviet forces in 1989 and the subsequent collapse of the communist regime, the Afghan people hoped for the induction of a popular representative government which would bring peace, stability, ensure national in sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan, pave the way for reconstruction, provide economic opportunity, and help all Afghan refugees return to their homeland.

It is most regrettable to see those hopes being dashed by the political developments in Afghanistan. The collapse of the Mujahideen government and the failure to establish a strong central government in Afghanistan has endangered the independence, territorial integrity, national unity and identity of the country. Nor were they able to insure peace, stability, stop massacre, or prevent further destruction of Afghanistan's infrastructure.

This paved the way for the Taleban, a reactionary foreign supported government, took control of the country gripping Afghanistan under a very strict, oppressive and incorrect interpretation of Islam. This reactionary movement set the country back to medieval times and subsequently became a rat's nest for all kinds criminals, most notably Terrorism. Among other things, their policy of harboring terrorists and terrorist activities opened the way for military intervention from the United States. Consequently their regime collapsed.

Later under the auspices of the United Nations, there was a conference for the resolution of the Afghan conflict in Bonn, Germany and passed a resolution for the Afghan problem. According to the resolution an interim Afghan Government was formed. Unfortunately some members of the new administration are the same individuals who were responsible for the anarchy and chaos that gripped Afghanistan since the Soviet withdrawal. They committed atrocities on the Afghan people, looted the state and private property, tried to bring division among the different Afghan ethnic groups and, worked for disintegration of Afghanistan. This is a matter of concern for the patriotic people of Afghanistan.

In order to end this traumatic situation, a true national government must be established (through Loya Jirga) based on the principles of democracy. A government that reflects our national and Islamic values and is in accordance with the will of the Afghan people. Therefore, we hereby resolve to form the "Afghanistan Nation Front" to take an active part in the next Loya Jirga and political future of our country and achieve the following goals and objectives:

1. To preserve the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, national identity
and unity of Afghanistan.

2. To prevent any foreign interference in the internal or external affairs of Afghanistan (especially the regional powers).

3. 3. To convene a "Loya Jirga" (Grand national Assembly) for the formation of an interim government.

The interim government would fulfill the following:

To consolidate peace and stability in the country
To draft a new constitution
To establish a parliamentary system based on the principles of Centralism
To facilitate the safe return of all Afghan refugees
To implement plans for reconstruction and economic development and to resuscitate social and cultural values
To hold free elections for the formation of a National Assembly and elected government
To insure civil and human rights and to reserve the human dignity of all Afghan men and women without discrimination
To respect the principles of the United Nations charter and foster friendly relations with all nations based on mutual respect and non-interference in each others internal affairs.

For the sake of the world and for the sake of Afghanistan, we call upon all brothers and
sisters to wholeheartedly support this cause and participate in the "Afghanistan National
Front". God willing, we will be able to achieve our social and political goals at this
critical juncture of our history and save our beloved country from further chaos and
destruction.

PLAN FOR RESOLVING THE AFGHANISTAN CRISIS

as proposed by the Afghan Social Democratic Party (Afghan Mellat)

For the past eleven years, the Social Democratic Party of Afghanistan (Afghan Mellat) has consistently advocated the political settlement of the Afghan conflict. In light of the present situation in Afghanistan, the Party proposes the following political solution:

	1. Convening the Loya Jirga (Grand Assembly) by the United Nations to form an interim coalition government for Afghanistan representing major political factions.
	2. Tenure of the interim coalition government should not exceed one and a half year; during this period, the coalition government should accomplish the following:

	a. to preserve ceasefire, and form National Army for maintaining law and order.
	b. to resettle the Afghan refugees and implement plans for reconstruction of Afghanistan.
	c. to pave the conditions without any discrimination for political parties and individuals to get prepare for election.
	d. to draft a a new constitution which should provide at least the following:

i. maintaining independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Afghanistan and preserving national unity of the Afghan people.
ii. keeping Islam as the state religion.
iii. preserving political pluralism, freedom of press and speech, democratic election and promotion of national culture.

	e. convening of Loya Jirga to ratify the new constitution.
	f. holding free and democratic general elections for the parliament under the U. N. supervision which should constitute the basis of a new democratic government.
	g. dissolving the interim government following the general election and peaceful transformation of power to the new popularly elected government. In proposing this plan. we have been guided both by political realism and justice. Our ultimate objective is to help the realization of a free, independent, Islamic, non-aligned, and democratic Afghanistan. May 8,1992

COMMUNIQUE ISSUED BY
AFGHAN SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY (ASDP)
ON THE OCCASION OF ITS 23TH ANNIVERSARY

1 - Bearing in mind that the defeat and withdrawal of Red Army from Afghanistan is an historic victory for the Afghan nation and is a landmark in the history of Afghanistan and all nations which are still under the yoke of imperialism;

2 - Regretting that the destruction of villages, towns and cities and massacre of thousands of innocent people still continue unabatedly in various parts of our homeland;

3 - Considering the formation of the so called Council (Shura) and interim government by seven groups in Pakistan is a flagrant violation of the right of self-determination of the Afghan people;

4 - Believing that only democratic process and general election can solve the conflict peacefully and bring about mutual trust among various field commanders, political, ethnic, and religious groups; therefore,
We members of Afghan Social Democratic Party, with firm belief that national sovereignty, self-determination, democracy, and social justice can constitute the main pillars of sovereign and stable Afghanistan, reiterate our previous stance to hold a general election under auspices of the united Nations which can be the foundation for free and independent Afghanistan. We appeal to all Afghan political groups to end the tragedy of killing and destruction and accept general election based on the will of the people foe the establishment of a legitimate government. Furthermore, we call upon the peace loving nations of the world and international organizations to create an appropriate environment in which the Afghan nation could freely exercise the right of self-determination.

March 23, 1989 Peshavar, Pakistan

Women status in Afghanistan

Speech of Nazo Rassuli
Representative of the Women organization of the
Afghan Social Democratic Party

in the XIX Congress of the Socialist International

September 12 - 13, 1992 Berlin, Germany

The Chairperson and Honourable Guests,

As representative of the Afghan Social Democratic Party and on behalf of ail oppressed women of Afghanistan, 1 would like to express my gratitude to you and Socialist International for inviting us to participate in this important gathering. 1 avail myself of this opportunity to express my deep concern about the status of Afghan women at this critical juncture of the Afghan history. You may be assured that the majority of the Afghan women and their brothers share the sarne concern.

As you are aware, Madame Chairperson, Afghanistan was able to regain its independence from the yoke of Soviet Imperialism after 13 year of devastating war and to bring the last remnant of Soviet puppet regime to its knees in April 1992. The Afghan people hoped that after years of misery and mishap, they would finally be able to live in peace and tranquillity. But, unfortunately that hope never materialized. Looting, plundering and killing of the innocent people still continue. Particularly the living conditions for the Afghan women, who consist of more than fifty percent of the population, is absolutely unbearable.

Honourable Chairperson,
The Afghan women after a long historical struggle for their rights, were able to reclaim their status in the Afghan society . For the past half a century they equally participated in Afghan national affairs. They served as teachers, civil servant, nurses, cabinet ministers and member of parliament, but suddenly, dark days came once again which deprived them from their rights. After seizing power, the so? called moderate Islamic regime expelled all women from the Afghan civil service.

Beside that, authorities ordered all women to walk slowly and breath calmly, otherwise it would interpreted by the regime as "devil temptation".

The present regime also wants to impose restriction on Afghan women which are not permissible within the tenants of our religion, traditional of Afghan culture and accepted norm of international behaviour.
The regime believes that women have the only right to produce children, to serve as servant at home, and finally to become an instrument of men's sexual pleasure. With this darkage mentality and backward orientation towards women, how will the Afghan women be able to participate in the social and political process and to help rebuild their devastated country? How will our widows be able to support their orphans when they are expelled from their jobs? Where can they go and whom can they ask to feed their hungry children? Does the regime have any answer to all these question? If we consider this regime as moderate, what would fanatics have done to us if they had taken over political power. Actually, they are the same fanatics who aligned themselves with the element of former communist regime for political and personal gains.

The so called moderate Islamic regime has embarked on a life of terror. Afghanistan has become a second "Killing Field". There has never been one single day since April 1992, that hundreds of people are not killed and thousands of houses are not destroyed by the shower of bombs and rockets. The influx of refugees to
India, Pakistan and Central Asian Republics has started again. The situation has become much harder for the Afghan women and children because they do not have any means to escape from this inferno. They have to sit at their shack houses and count for the minute or the hour that the dragon of death will swallow them, soon.

The Afghan women will never accept an unpopular regime which has been imposed on the Afghan people. We, Afghan women support a government, elected by the free will of all Afghan citizens.

We would like to ask the international community and the Socialist International Women to pay special attention to misery of the Afghan women. Your moral and political support will greatly contribute to the emancipation of all Afghan women from tyranny and oppression.