Many of the world’s most successful nations are democracies: Khalilzad

Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, in response to the Islamic Emirate Supreme Leader’s Eid remarks, emphasized the global success of democratic systems and urged reflection on their relevance.

Khalilzad said on X on Friday that during the recent Eid sermon, IEA’s Supreme Leader was very critical of democracy.

“I do not want to defend the lawlessness, corruption, and many other failures of the previous Afghan government. And, of course, the Afghan people have the right to have their own form of government,” Khalilzad wrote. “However, it is important to observe that many of the most successful, richest, and most powerful countries in the world are democracies.”