Former Afghan vice-president Sarwar Danish says critics of federalism misunderstand it, arguing it could help manage ethnic diversity and ensure fair power-sharing in Afghanistan.
Danish made the remarks on Tuesday in response to comments by Anwar-ul-Haq Ahady, who had described federalism as a major disaster and backed a centralised system based on civic nationalism.
Rejecting Ahadi’s view as unrealistic, Danish said federalism is both feasible and long discussed in Afghanistan’s academic and political circles, supported by historical and analytical research.
He argued that such a system could offer an effective framework for managing ethnic diversity and distributing power more equitably.
Addressing concerns about the cost of a federal bureaucracy, Danish said justice, broader public participation and reduced ethnic tensions outweigh administrative expenses. He added that without such a system, internal conflicts could impose far greater costs.
Referring to smaller and medium-sized countries with federal systems, he dismissed claims that federalism is unsuitable for Afghanistan, saying it could be implemented while preserving national unity.
Danish concluded that federalism is a tool to promote justice and reduce ethnic divides, not deepen them, and described opposing views as rooted in traditional “ethnic nationalism”, which he said has failed to build a nation in Afghanistan, even if relabelled as civic nationalism.
