Shortly after choosing a transitional government, Afghanistan hosted another loya jirga to approve a new constitution. While the loya jirga was only meant to last less than two weeks, intense debate over the new governing document stretched meeting out for nearly a month.
The main debate centered around whether Afghanistan should have constitution that supported a strong presidential system or a parliamentary system, with now President Hamid Karzai strongly supporting the former. Other issues included choosing a national language, women’s rights, and how to structure the economy.
After weeks of heated debate, the loya jirga finally agreed to ratify the constitution by consensus rather than an official vote.
