Constitutional Design and the Political Salience of "Community" Identity in Afghanistan

This paper looks at the lack of ethnic representation in the post-Taliban political institutions in Afghanistan. The author argues that institutional design is a way to manage ethnic tensions and while the 2004 Constitution represents a compromise between various factions, it's viability is too reliant on President Karzai. The first part of the paper describes the ethnic diversity in Afghanistan and the constitution-making process leading up to the 2004 Constitution. Part two uses Canadian political philosopher Will Kymlicka's categorization of different types of political recognition to frame a discussion regarding ethnic rights in Afghanistan. Within each category, the author sets out some of the political interests represented by various ethnic groups at the time. The author concludes with cautionary words concerning ethnic divisions in the future.