Afghanistan’s Ashraf Ghani: Parliamentary system would destabilize country --- Kabul, Asharq Al-Awsat—The world’s attention once more turned to Afghanistan as its citizens headed to the polls Saturday in presidential elections. -- Thirteen years after an international coalition led by the United States ousted the Taliban government, Afghanistan remains troubled by violence and a weak economy. --- Q: What do you think is the best system of rule for Afghanistan? A presidential or parliamentary system? -- We are not ready for a parliamentary system yet, because we don’t have major political parties. Once 2 to 4 major political parties are established you can have a parliamentary system. We have hundreds of political parties, but no major ones, and without major democratic parties you cannot run a parliamentary system. Otherwise you would have coalition governments until the end of the world, and that would destabilize Afghanistan. --- Q: What do you think of the future of Afghanistan following the withdrawal of US forces? -- Our security forces have done a remarkable job. I was in charge of the security transition over the last three years and I am very proud of our security forces. They need ten more years of sustained attention. They began from scratch. They are like our soccer and cricket team: they began very low, but they have developed. Over the next ten years, they are really going to become excellent professional forces. I hope to be leading them as their commander-in-chief, in addition to investing in them, earning their trust and making sure that the use of force is diminished and does not increase. The best army is an army that is not used. --- Do you have a message for the Arab world? -- Of course, the Arab world is a circle that we’ve been bound to since the reign of Caliph Uthman. We share an enormous heritage. People of this country have contributed enormously to the Arab Muslim civilization, from Ghazali to Ibn Sina, and equally Arabic is fundamental for us to grasp the Holy Qur’an and Sunna of the Prophet. -- More importantly, the Arab world has now become one of the largest centers of capital accumulation in the world. We seek a multi-dimensional relationship [with the Arab world]. Hajj is the duty of every Muslim, and Afghans are standing in line to perform it. Our knowledge of Arabic has increased phenomenally; I would like to see a major investment in the learning of Arabic. Our religious scholars need to be connected to Al-Azhar [in Egypt], the UAE, Jordan, and the rest of the Arab world. This is a binding relationship and it will endure. - More, Mohammed Al-Shafey, Asharq Alawsat English - at: http://www.aawsat.net/2014/04/article55330859