Flawed government, flawed opposition

It has become an endemic culture among our political elite to reject all criticisms and laud government as long as they have ministerial and other high-profile portfolios but the day they lose their posts they form “opposition” fronts and start a campaign of lambasting criticisms.

It has become an endemic culture among our political elite to reject all criticisms and laud government as long as they have ministerial and other high-profile portfolios but the day they lose their posts they form “opposition” fronts and start a campaign of lambasting criticisms.
When in the government, these politicians always say “our government” and never talk about the opposition. For them, the government equals Hamid Karzai – if they are in good terms with Mr. Karzai they are also happy with the government but if they have an issue with President Karzai then they turn into government’s staunch critics and enemy.
While the term “opposition” has been used by many to describe their political standing, ironically, borders between the government and its oppositions in the three branches – executive, legislative and judiciary – are blurred. Those who call themselves the “opposition” often struggle to show off their presence in the media and in the National Assembly.
However, it is unclear who is pro-government and who is really with the opposition. The Wolesi Jirga has also acted unpredictably: it decided to impeach the Attorney General in April but dropped the idea soon. It is believed that too often positions and standings, be it the government or the opposition, are decided in the night parties and meetings between government officials and politicians.
Immediately after the Wolesi Jirga was inaugurated Dr Abdullah, a former foreign minister, claimed that over 90 MPs are from his so-called “Change and Hope” opposition party. However, this is hard to prove since MPs who act as opposition to the government do not necessarily represent Abdullah’s party.
Amrullah Saleh, another opposition leader, used to work as director of the national intelligence agency until a year ago. Mr. Saleh was a close confident to President Karzai and even imprisoned journalists who criticized his boss. Ever since he was sacked from his position, Mr. Saleh has become a vocal critic of his former boss and his policies.
The current opposition is more of a former ministers’ club than a genuine and broad-based political movement. The leaders of the opposition appear to be more interested in gaining another chance in the government than having real alternatives to the way politics and governance are wielded in the country.
As with the government, the vast majority of people do not trust the opposition and their leaders because of their past failures. Political entities and politicians can only attract popular support when their actions speak louder than their slogan and when they stop using politics as a means to accumulate wealth and personal power.