The 2005 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

candidates

       with the most votes will participate in a second round; a president

       can only be elected for two terms; election last held 9 October 2004

       (next to be held in 2009)

       election results: Hamid KARZAI elected president; percent of vote -

       Hamid KARZAI 55.4%, Yunus QANOONI 16.3%, Ustad Mohammad MOHAQQEQ

       11.6%, Abdul Rashid DOSTAM 10.0%, Abdul Latif PEDRAM 1.4%, Masooda

       JALAL 1.2%

      Legislative branch:

       nonfunctioning as of January 2004; government is empowered by the

       constitution to issue legislation by decree until the new assembly

       is seated; under the new constitution, the bicameral National

       Assembly will consist of the Wolesi Jirga or House of People (no

       more than 249 seats), directly elected for a five-year term, and the

       Meshrano Jirga or House of Elders (102 seats, one third elected from

       provincial councils for a four-year term, one third elected from

       local district councils for a three-year term, and one third

       presidential appointees for a five-year term; the presidential

       appointees will include two representatives of Kuchis and two

       representatives of the disabled; half of the presidential appointees

       will be women)

       note: on rare occasions the government may convene the Loya Jirga on

       issues of independence, national sovereignty, and territorial

       integrity; it can amend the provisions of the constitution and

       prosecute the president; it is made up of members of the National

       Assembly and chairpersons of the provincial and district councils

       elections: scheduled for spring 2005

      Judicial branch:

       the new constitution establishes a nine-member Stera Mahkama or

       Supreme Court (its nine justices are appointed for 10-year terms by

       the president with approval of the Wolesi Jirga) and subordinate

       High Courts and Appeals Courts; there is also a Minister of Justice;

       a separate Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission established by

       the Bonn Agreement is charged with investigating human rights abuses

       and war crimes

      Political parties and leaders:

       note - includes only political parties approved by the Ministry of

       Justice: Afghan Millat [Anwarul Haq AHADI]; De Afghanistan De Solay

       Ghorzang Gond [Shahnawaz TANAI]; De Afghanistan De Solay Mili Islami

       Gond [Shah Mahmood Polal ZAI]; Harakat-e-Islami Afghanistan

       [Mohammad Asif MOHSINEE]; Hezb-e-Aarman-e-Mardum-e-Afghanistan

       [Iihaj Saraj-u-din ZAFAREE]; Hezb-e-Aazadee Afghanistan [Abdul

       MALIK]; Hezb-e-Adalat-e-Islami Afghanistan [Mohammad Kabeer

       MARZBAN]; Hezb-e-Afghanistan-e-Wahid [Mohammad Wasil RAHEEMEE];

       Hezb-e-Afghan Watan Islami Gond [leader NA]; Hezb-e-Congra-e-Mili

       Afghanistan [Latif PEDRAM]; Hezb-e-Falah-e-Mardum-e-Afghanistan

       [Mohammad ZAREEF]; Hezb-e-Libral-e-Aazadee

       Khwa-e-Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Ajmal SOHAIL]; Hezb-e-Hambastagee Mili

       Jawanan-e-Afghanistan [Mohammad Jamil KARZAI];

       Hezb-e-Hamnbatagee-e-Afghanistan [Abdul Khaleq NEMAT];

       Hezb-e-Harakat-e-Mili Wahdat-e-Afghanistan [Mohammad Nadir AATASH];

       Hezb-e-Harak-e-Islami Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Ilhaj Said Hssain

       ANWARY]; Hezb-e-Ifazat Az Uqoq-e-Bashar Wa Inkishaf-e-Afghanistan

       [Baryalai NASRATEE]; Hezb-e-Istiqlal-e-Afghanistan [Dr. Gh. Farooq

       NIJZRABEE]; Hezb-e-Jamhoree Khwahan [Sibghatullah SANJAR];

       Hezb-e-Kar Wa Tawsiha-e-Afghanistan [Zulfiar OMID]; Hezb-e-Mili

       Afghanistan [Abdul Rasheed AARYAN]; Hezb-e-Mili

       Wahdat-e-Aqwam-e-Islami Afghanistan [Mohammad Shah KHOGYANEE];

       Hezb-e-Nuhzhat-e-Mili Afghanistan [Ahmad Wali MASOUD];

       Hezb-e-Paiwand-e-Mili Afghanistan [Said Mansoor NADIRI];

       Hezb-e-Rastakhaiz-e-Islami Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Said ZAHIR];

       Hezb-e-Refah-e-Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Mia Gul WASEEQ];

       Hezb-e-Risalat-e-Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Noor Aqa ROEEN];

       Hezb-e-Sahadat-e-Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Mohammad Zubair PAIROZ];

       Hezb-e-Sahadat-e-Mili Wa Islami Afghanistan [Mohammad Usman

       SALIGZADA]; Hezb-e-Sulh-e-Mili Islami Aqwam-e-Afghanistan [Abdul

       Qahir SHARYATEE]; Hezb-e-Sulh Wa Wahdat-e-Mili Afghanistan [Abdul

       Qadir IMAMEE]; Hezb-e-Tafahum-e-Wa Democracy Afghanistan [Ahamad

       SHAHEEN]; Hezb-e-Wahdat-e-Islami Afghanistan [Mohammad Karim

       KHALILI]; Hezb-e-Wahdat-e-Islami Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Ustad

       Mohammad MOHAQQEQ]; Hezb-e-Wahdat-e-Mili Afghanistan [Abdul Rasheed

       Jalili]; Jamahat-ul-Dahwat ilal Qurhan-wa-Sunat-ul-Afghanistan

       [Mawlawee Samiullah NAJEEBEE]; Jombesh-e Milli [Abdul Rashid

       DOSTAM]; Mahaz-e-Mili Islami Afghanistan [Said Ahmad GAILANEE];

       Majmah-e-Mili Fahaleen-e-Sulh-e-Afghanistan [Shams ul Haq Noor

       SHAMS]; Nuhzat-e-Aazadee Wa democracy Afghanistan [Abdul Raqeeb

       Jawid KUHISTANEE]; Nuhzat-e-Hambastagee Mili Afghanistan [Peer Said

       Ishaq GAILANEE]; Sazman-e-Islami Afghanistan-e-Jawan [Siad Jawad

       HUSSAINEE]; Tahreek Wahdat-e-Mili [Sultan Mahmood DHAZI] (30 Sep

       2004)

      Political pressure groups and leaders:

       Jamiat-e Islami (Society of Islam) [former President Burhanuddin

       RABBANI]; Ittihad-e Islami (Islamic Union for the Liberation of

       Afghanistan), [Abdul Rasul SAYYAF]; there are also small monarchist,

       communist, and democratic groups

      International organization participation:

       AsDB, CP, ECO, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB,

       IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC,

       OPCW, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WMO,

       WTO (observer), WToO

      Diplomatic representation in the US:

       chief of mission: Ambassador Said Tayeb JAWAD

       chancery: 2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008

       telephone: [1] 202–483-6410

       FAX: [1] 202–483-6488

       consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

      Diplomatic representation from the US:

       chief of mission: Ambassador Zalmay KHALILZAD

       embassy: The Great Masood Road, Kabul

       mailing address: 6180 Kabul Place, Dulles, VA 20189–6180

       telephone: [00] (2) 230–0436

       FAX: