While a series of upheaval and challenges, particularly in the fields of security and economic recovery, have slowed down the reconstruction process in war- battered Afghanistan, the year 2005 still saw the central Asian state achieve a host of vital projects, including the landmark legislative polls.

As a stride toward durable stability in the country, the parliamentary elections, held for the first time in three decades amid tight security on Sept. 18, facilitated the war-weary Afghans to move toward national unity and begin their political fight inside the parliament house rather than on the battleground.

President Hamid Karzai selected one third or 34 members of the 102-member Mushrano Jirga or the Upper House of the two-chamber parliament, in the post-Taliban country just days ahead of inaugural session of the legislation on Dec. 19.

The majority of the parliamentarians were former anti-Soviet resistance leaders, remnants of erstwhile USSR-backed regimes and ex-officials of fundamentalist Taliban regime, who had fought each other and been involved in the past 25 years of war and civil strife.

In another stride toward stability and national unity, the Afghan government launched a national reconciliation program and so far over 300 opposition elements with the majority of them Taliban fighters, according officials, have laid down their arms and joined the peace process throughout the outgoing year.

Though no prominent military figure of the hardliner militants has been seen among the Taliban defectors, the head of the Reconciliation Program Sibghatullah Mujadadi and newly elected president of the Mushrano Jirga predicted more desertion of Taliban fighters to government in the coming year.
 
True, the process of reconciliation is slow, but it has paved the way for the armed opponents to contact government. That is why several former Taliban officials contested the legislative polls and even a few of them, including ex-notorious commander Mullah Abdul Salam Rocketi and Mawlawi Mohammad Islam Mohammadi, who governed Bamyan during the destruction of giant Buddha's statues in March 2001, have secured seats in the parliament.

To further boost its popularity, the Karzai-led administration launched a one-week Accountability Program late last month, during which all ministers and head of independent bodies briefed the nation on their performance over 2005.

In addition to hosting two regional conferences to boost economic activities with countries in the region, Afghanistan also received over a dozen of world leaders and foreign dignitaries in the outgoing year.

Prime Ministers of Pakistan, India, Norway, US Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State and dignitaries from other countries toured Afghanistan in 2005 to side with the post-Taliban nation to rebuild itself.

Afghanistan under President Karzai in 2005 was able to sign a joint declaration with the White House and paved the way for long- term presence of the US troops in the war-shattered country.

The leadership also succeeded in convincing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to expand its mission in Afghanistan and the western military pact has announced its deployment to the militancy-plagued southern region from next year.

Meanwhile, economy in the post-war country also recorded a 14 percent growth in 2005, as against 8 percent in the previous year.

More than 2,480 national and international firms have registered to invest over US$600 million in the country, of which half has been realized during the outgoing year, mostly in the construction sector.

According to the Commerce Ministry, Afghanistan exported 120 tons of fresh and dried fruits in 2005 from 42 tons in the previous year, while the export of hand-woven carpets rose to 2 million square meters in the year from 1.5 million square meters in 2004.

In value, the country's total export also jumped to US$500 in the outgoing year from US$300 million in 2004.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan's request for joining the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was also accepted in 2005.

The strength of the under training Afghanistan National Army ( ANA) also reached 31,000 while the number of national police as per schedule reached 55,000 in the outgoing year.

Nevertheless, despite the country's myriad of achievements, curbing militants and strengthening central government's control in the vast rural areas, particularly in the militancy-hit southern and southeastern region, remained a daunting challenge as the Taliban-led militants and its al-Qaida allies still frequently struck the government and US military interests.

In the outgoing year, the anti-government militants, contrary to people's expectations and predictions, further intensified their activities, during which over 1,500 people, including 80 US soldiers, were killed.

(Xinhua News Agency December 31, 2005)