Kabul (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Yesterday the Great Afghan Assembly, the Loya Jirga, approved the new constitution. The new charter was born after weeks of discussion and clashes between representatives of the country's various ethnic groups. At the conclusion of the work of the 502 delegates, president Hamid Karzai (Pashtun) thanked every ethnic community, above all the friends-enemies of the north the Tagiks and Uzbeks, promising to learn their dialect. 

Urging an end to tribal disputes, he said: "Today we have tried to be a united nation; it has been a great success; now we must respect it and put it into effect."

To reduce internal divisional the new constitution guarantees as official dialects spoken in the north by Uzbeks and Turkmen. Words of approval arrive also from the Pashtuns, the country's largest ethnic group. The new constitutional charter, they say, will help to demilitarize the capital and will inject new freedom into education, daily life and information. The passing of the constitution is one of the steps recommended by the UN following the end of the Taleban regime in 2002. Another step will be the election of the president next summer. 

The new constitution conserves – upon the Karzai's wish  –  a strong presidential system. It does not include references to the shari'ah (Islamic law), but says that no Afghan law "can be contrary to (Islamic) belief". It still remains unclear how much religious freedom will be allowed. As a result, the constitution states that "men and women have equal rights", overcoming the traditional conception in which women's rights were defended only if disputed by their male relatives." (SF)

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