As Afghanistan is proceeding through the transition, it is taking along with itself many un-resolved issues, and there is no clear indication that they would be solved when the transition is complete. If the ambiguity regarding these issues remains as it is, the country may be caught in the quagmire of insecurity and instability. One of the basic issues has been the nature of political system and the democratic setup and environment in the country.

There are clear doubts about the future of democracy, which is already in a preliminary stage. Though there have been many conferences, debates and negotiations yet an apt solution for the future course of action does not exist. Bonn Conference, Chicago Summit and many other meetings and gatherings focused most of their attentions to the security while forgetting the real causes of the conflict.

The international community seems to have forgotten this issue and it does not seem to involve itself in the matter as it has already decided to withdraw completely in 2014. It mostly claims that it is the internal matter of Afghanistan but does not realize that the security will be highly dependent on the condition and performance of the political system.

Afghan government on the other hand because of its highly centralized nature is able to manipulate the circumstances in its favor. The Presidential office, which is bestowed with extreme powers, is striving to maintain the same so as to utilize the setup for quenching the thirst of authority.

In the process the largest harm is being brought to the future of the political environment in the country. The opposition that can play a key role in the development of a truly democratic system and democratic environment is being disregarded by the government. This has been one of the basic characteristics of a centralized and an authoritative government that it tends to crush the opposition, instead of utilizing it to strengthen the system.

Currently, the political opposition parties in Afghanistan are getting stronger and very much active, which should be the sign of a positive change for Afghanistan. Afghanistan's politics and its democratic system need that there should be strong political parties that can create a democratic environment.

Some of the opposition groups that have come to the front are Afghanistan National Front, Afghanistan National Coalition, Right and Justice Party and the United National Front of Afghanistan. Thecreation of these political coalitions and parties will also support in the political awareness as more people will be involved in pursuing their objectives through political means within these platforms.

This can support in diminishing the role of Taliban who have been pursuing their objectives through terrorism and militancy. However, the Afghan government does not seem to realize these important facts and seems to prioritize Taliban over them. President Karzai has vehemently called the Taliban his brothers and has kept on welcoming them for negotiations but he has never tried to make the important processes like reconciliation process and the political development in the country more participatory by involving the opposition parties.

One of the opposition political parties that have gained much sustenance and popularity recently is the Afghanistan National Front (ANF). ANF seems to be pursuing its political movement with a rising vim. Within of its last rallies in Jawzjan, Faryab and Takhar – three main provinces of north and northeastern Afghanistan, which involved the participation of tens of thousands of people, it proved that it is gaining both strength and support among the masses.

ANF can be recognized as to be consisting of leaders ofmajor non-Pushtun ethnic groups, which was once the part of Northern Alliance, resisted furiously against the Taliban domination before the international military mission in late 2001. Its main leaders include Ahmad Zia Masoud, Haji Muhammad Mohaqiq and Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum. One of the basic characteristics of the party has been its consistent motto.

Throughout its campaign, it has kept on insisting on a set of purely political and constitutional demands, and all the members have echoed the same demands. It has demanded for a decentralized political system, where the highly centralized presidential office is not able to violate the democratic values. It has also emphasized on the parliamentary form of government so as to develop a system that can fulfill the demands of the heterogeneous Afghan society.

And it has kept on emphasizing for a free and fair election that should be properly monitored by the UN. As far as Taliban are concerned, its members have vehemently said that the violence on the part of Taliban can never be accepted and it would be resisted emphatically, while they have asked them to pursue their objectives through peace and negotiations.

In response to the growing performance and influence of the alliance, the government has tried to adopt a vicious policy of launching a machination against it, which shows that it is being frustrated by the situation. It has willfully tried to defame the party leaders and has also tried to bring a rift in the party. The party leaders are defamed through the extraction of their pasts from the grave of oblivion. Efforts are made through certain media outlets to prove the leaders corrupt and dishonest.

Recently, one of the media outlets, owned by a senior official in the current administration, has mentioned that ANF leader Gen. Rashid Dostum is involved in manipulating the mineral resources of the northern areas by threatening the companies that have won the bid to unearth those resources.

Allegation seems to be exaggerated and politically motivated. Moreover, there have been attempts from the figures within the government circle to turn the public opinion against the party leaders by calling them foreign supporters and traitors who want to disintegrate the country.

Sources from opposition claim that current administration is involved in horse-trading of opposition activists by misusing the state resources. Instead of discussing what the personal characteristics of the party leaders are, if the discussion is brought to the stand of the party and its demands, it would be as clear as crystal they are not against the country, are totally political and in accordance to the constitution and support the democratic values.

It is really necessary for the opposition political parties and the government to support and nourish the political environment and democratic values. It is the spirit of the democratic system that it should deal with the opposing views and policies in a democratic manner, not through immoral and despotic means.

More responsibility goes to the government in this regard. The government has to make sure that it promotes a favorable political environment by setting examples itself. The political environment in Afghanistan has been very much belligerent and the political objectives have mostly been pursued through militancy and tussles. It is now the time we must mend ourselves and prove that we have the ability to pursue our goals in a civilized manner.