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CNN Live Sunday

Afghanistan's New Government Holds First Formal Meeting

Aired December 23, 2001 - 17:11   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Afghanistan's new interim government held its first formal meeting today. As CNN's John Vause reports, the fledging administration faces some immediate and very pressing challenges.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The new politics of Afghanistan. Hamid Karzai and his cabinet meeting for their first official session, a dramatic change from the past where the political process was driven by the power of the gun.

The main issue here, security: A daunting problem in a country awash with high-powered weapons, where even some cabinet ministers maintain their own heavily armed security guards, and warlords and bandits control large sections of the countryside. Karzai wants them de-armed, and he may be able to use the billions of dollars of international aid to reward and punish many of the now-lawless provinces.

AHMED FAWZI, U.N. SPECIAL ENVOY SPOKESMAN: One of the advantages of Hamid Karzai is that he is not a warlord. He came to office by virtue of a political agreement, and this is a first for Afghanistan -- not by virtue of the power of a gun.

VAUSE: But first, this country needs a central bank and one stable currency. Right now, there are two. There is no civil service, infrastructure is at shambles, and this interim administration has six months to show the world it has made real progress.

Another sign of a changing Afghanistan, on the streets of the capital a political demonstration, the first since the Taliban took power five years ago. Mostly men, but notably some women from Kabul's small professional class. They march to the U.N. compound, chanting support for the peace process and for the interim administration.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we are going to have peace, democracy, and everybody is going to have a new job for development of Afghanistan.

VAUSE (on camera): On this brand new day for Afghanistan, there is good reason for hope and optimism, but there are warnings too from the new leader that there are still many dark days ahead. John Vause, CNN, Kabul.

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