Afstan: Karzai's proposed new cabinet drops key minister/Buying locally

All the Western reporting I've seen, such as this Wall St. Journal story, misses one very important thing. Mohammed Ehsan Zia, Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD), has been dropped.

This ministry, by all accounts, has been the single most effective Afghan government organization in doing effective work to revive the country--largely as a result of Minister Zia's dedication, hard work and ability. The ministry, as part of the National Solidarity Programme, has arranged the creation of over 22,000 elected Community Development Councils in some 70% of the country, with 30% of members being women. The councils have been a real example of grass roots democracy, choosing and implementing projects that they believe are of most direct benefit to their communities. And, at the same time, providing what amounts to a local governance structure run by the people themselves. More on the councils here, here and here.

I have heard from one who should know that Mr Zia has been critical to the success of the ministry, getting out in the field far more than most of his ministerial colleagues. His removal seems an ominous omen unless his successor, Mohammad Wais Barmak (I can find nothing about him via Google), is very capable indeed.

And some comments on a related development matter from a Canadian:

...

Greetings from Kabul. To introduce myself, I'm Colonel (Canadian Army, Retired) Mike Capstick, the Country Director, Peace Dividend Trust -- Afghanistan. We're an International not-for-profit NGO, see: http://www.peacedividendtrust.org/

One of our major projects is Peace Dividend Marketplace -- Afghanistan. The mission of this project is to advocate and facilitate local procurement by the entire international community. The concept is simple, keep more of the money being spent on Afghanistan in Afghanistan...

Water is but one example. US military spending in the construction sector has caused the entire industry to improve its quality and standards and almost all Afghan security force uniforms and boots are now locally produced. Similar examples can be found in almost every economic sector. Finally, Ambassador Eikenberry's leadership by example on Afghan First has inspired any number of Embassies, UN Agencies and donors to step-up their Afghan First efforts.

Thanks for using Best Defense to raise this crucial issue. Of course, much more needs to be done to build a self-sustaining economy in Afghanistan and to provide employment. Our donors, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the British Department for International Development (DFID) and USAID fund the Peace Dividend Marketplace - Afghanistan project because they recognize the importance of economic development to Afghans. The US Mission and the military also recognize this, and they have led the way in using their massive spending power to stimulate the economy and to create jobs.

More here from Col. Capstick, the first director of the now sadly disbanded Canadian Strategic Advisory Team with the Afghan government.