“Democracy” in Afghanistan - the Afghanistan Research and ...

Deconstructing “Democracy” in Afghanistan
Province’s deeply controversial parliamentary
election process—there are nevertheless few
incentives at present to push leaders at the top
toward more accountable government.
The words “at present” are key here. Central to
Tilly’s conception of democratisation as discussed
in the introduction is its tendency to move back
and forth along a continuum over time. It is also
arguable that historical or religious factors do
not in themselves preclude the furthering of a
democratic politics. In theory, then, there remains
space for change. How and when this change
occurs, however, will depend on the extent to
which democratisation is seen as “Afghan” as
opposed to imposed from outside, on shifting levels
of security, and on how resources and access to
power are distributed. None of these factors can
be addressed in the short-term, however; thus
combined, they point to a long and complex path
ahead for Afghanistan’s nascent democratisation
process.
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