Political Economy in the Wolesi Jirga: Sources of Finance and their Impact on Representation in Afghanistan’s Parliament
Date
2011-05
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Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU)
Abstract
Over the past few years, Afghanistan’s Wolesi Jirga (lower house of parliament), has been the subject of increasing scrutiny. This is due both to the body’s unique position within the Afghan government as a potential voice of opposition, and also the formidable amount of electoral fraud and daily corruption now associated with the body. While Afghan and international observers have lamented the increasing amount of money flowing through parliament—both in terms of expenditures on campaigns and access to licit and illicit forms of funding—little has been done to systematically map out the political economy of the Wolesi Jirga. AREU research on the issue suggests that the financial considerations of MPs play an important and growing role in determining how Afghanistan’s parliament functions. This paper attempts to lay out a framework for understanding how the political economy of parliament is contributing to the undermining of representative governance in the country.
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Keywords
Afghanistan -- Politics and government -- 2001-