Many friends of the Afghan President Hamid Karzai believe that Islamists such as Karimi and Abdul Hadi
Shinwari, the Afghan Supreme Court Chief Justice, are stalling promulgation of political party laws. It is
believed that these Islamists want to ensure Islamic warlords such as Abd' Al-Rasul Al-Sayyaf, Ismail Khan,
and Burhan' ad-Din Rabani, Pir Gailani and Sighbatulllah Mujaddidi can easily turn Afghanistan
into a theocracy-like state. On August 20th Karimi said that the constitution of Afghanistan will only
permit movements recognized under Islamic law.

Currently, there are around 83 organizations active in political activities in the country. They are running
for the country's first general elections in nearly 30 years scheduled for June 2004. All parties have
registered with the government . All party platforms support and defend democratic principles, respect
Islamic principles, place national interest before other interests, show concern for the war ravaged
economy, and ask for a secularized government apparatus.

The parties which have held public and open meetings include Hisb-i Wahdat-i Milli Afghanistan led by
Sultan Mahmud Ghazi, Nohzat-i Milli Afghanistan led by Yunus Qanuni, Afghan Millat led by Anwar al-Haq
Ahadi, Hisb-i Jamhuri Afghanistan led by Sighbatullah Sangar, and Ittehad-i Milli Afghanistan led by Noor
al-Haq Olomi.

These parties have appealed to many Afghans who endured the civil war between the mujahiddin guerillas
and later the Taliban regime. Many in Kabul fear the return of the Islamists under the "Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan." These anti-Islamists parties have caused a split between reformists and Islamist in the
Transitional Administration.

President Karzai and most of his cabinet ministers favor a secularized government which does not totally
exclude religion but allows civil laws to run the government. The Justice Minister, Supreme Court Chief
Justice, and regional Governors favor Islamic law which allows their monopoloy over the lifes of people.

U.S. authorities and European diplomats are nervous in Kabul in anticipation of the upcoming Loya Jirgah on
the constitution, national elections, and party laws.
Some European diplomats say that a compromise is being planned between the reformists and Islamists.
However, they warn that any comprise for the Islamization of the Afghan government will be
irreversible.

One analyst stressed that the Islamists might even be institutionalized in such deals. This could result in
failure of western principles of democracy for Afghanistan. This is something which both the
"Islamic Republic" of Iran and Pakistan want to prevent both in Afghanistan and Iraq.

In a sign of the concern, a delegation from the Congress led by Senator John McCain raised the issue
last week. On his way to a meeting in Pakistan with President Pervez Musharraf, Mr. McCain told
journalists in Kabul that Pakistan was "not doing as much as it can" to stem the cross-border
infiltration...We are appreciative of the help that Pakistan has given us in the war on terror and in
other ways, but we believe that more measures can be taken."

In recent weeks, there are rumors that Al-Qaida cells operation in the tribal belt of Pakistan have moved
through Iran and into Iraq. Unlike Iraq, where the UN works in the shadow of a US protectorate and suffers
the consequences the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan shoulders a mandate that includes relief,
peacekeeping, institution-building and evolving the instruments of democracy as envisaged at the Bonn
conference.