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How did Afghanistan’s 2004 constitution-making process involve a Loya Jirga?

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constitution Original copy of the Constitution of the United States of America, housed in the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

The 2004 constitution-making process in Afghanistan was facilitated by the Loya Jirga, a traditional national assembly viewed by many as the highest manifestation of the people's will.1

Following the toppling of the Taliban in 2001, a transitional government was established to oversee the drafting of a new legal framework. In November 2003, a draft constitution was released for public consideration. Subsequently, in December 2003, a Loya Jirga was convened to deliberate on this document. After three weeks of intense debate, the assembly officially approved the constitution in January 2004.2

The ratified document established a constitutional framework featuring a directly elected president and a bicameral National Assembly. Following the Loya Jirga's approval, the constitution was signed into law by Hamid Karzai, the leader of the transitional government, paving the way for national elections later that year.12