Revolving Door for Afghan Governors

The latest reshuffle of Afghan provincial governors has left many wondering whether the government of President Hamed Karzai was sincere when it promised to remove officials with questionable records from their posts

Since the same powerful warlords and mujahedin leaders have resurfaced again and again in a variety of national- and provincial-level jobs since the fall of the Taleban in 2001, some are now asking whether the cycle will ever be broken.

In late June, with Karzai’s approval, the interior ministry transferred five governors from one province to another.

Among the most controversial moves were the appointment of Gul Agha Sherzai as governor of Nangarhar, who was shifted from his native province of Kandahar. Shirzai is a former mujahedin commander who was in charge of Kandahar until the Taleban forced him out.

In Nangarhar, Sherzai replaced Haji Din Mohammad, formerly a deputy leader in the Hezb-i-Islami mujahedin faction led by Yunus Khalis. He is now governor of Kabul province.

Eyebrows have also been raised at the selection of Haji Shir Alam as governor of Ghazni. Alam is a former militia commander most recently associated with Tanzim-e-Dawat-e-Islami – a political group set up by Abd al-Rabb al-Rasul Sayyaf on the basis of his Ittehad-e-Islami mujahedin faction. Alam was recently barred from standing in the upcoming parliamentary elections because of he was deemed to have retained ties to armed groups.

“Isn’t there anyone else who can be a minister or governor in Afghanistan except for a few warlords?” demanded Hanifullah, a 60-year-old civil servant. Instead of getting rid of them, "the government is just transferring them from one post to another and in doing so it is cheating the people," he said, adding that he now regretted voting for Karzai last year.

The government defended the latest round of appointments.

“These governors have had jihadi backgrounds and their service during the [anti-Soviet] jihad and resistance is admired by the Afghan people - they have really endured a great deal… [and] want to serve their people,” said Abdul Malik Seddiqi, a high ranking interior ministry official.

He denied accusations that the government is unable to get rid of governors if it wants to.

Some analysts disagree, and say the government’s hands are tied when it comes to making such appointments.

They point to the 2001 Bonn conference that served as the basis for the new government. At that meeting, rival Afghan leaders reached a deal to set aside decades of war and form a post-Taleban coalition leadership, sketching a blueprint for a new democratic Afghanistan.

"The government was effectively formed in Bonn, based on consultations with these people, so they are part of the government and they cannot be left out of it,” said Qasim Akhgar, a political analyst.

Many of the warriors and warlords who spent years fighting against Soviet occupation and the Taleban regime now see their positions in government as just reward for their services.

Sherzai, who has also served as minister of rehabilitation and rural development as well as two post-Taleban terms in the top job in Kandahar, defended his latest appointment as governor of Nangarhar.

“To transfer and appoint someone is within the government’s authority – these decisions are made for the good of the people. It is not true what people say - that the government cannot fire any governors, because most of the ministers and governors have been fired," he said.

This view was shared by Din Mohammad, the recently-appointed governor of Kabul province, “I disagree with what people say - that the governors are linked to the government, which cannot get rid of them.

"But I can say that those who’ve made sacrifices and have a good reputation and respect among the people get high priority when it comes to these appointments.”

That sort of answer does not satisfy many people.

Ahmad Shah, 50, a teacher in Kabul, said, “The government is moving these powerful men around. It sometimes appoints warlords to the ministries, sometimes to governors’ posts.

"People have come to know these warlords during the past four years. Most of them are uneducated, and some are war criminals and human rights violators, so why can’t the government protect the people from them?”

Mohammad Hassan Wolesmal, a political analyst who is chief editor of Afghan Milli Jarida (Afghan National Magazine), agreed.

“When people tire of the governors’ incompetence, the government just transfers them from one province to another in order to calm the public,” he said.

Shir Alam declined to comment on his recent appointment. A spokesman for his office said, “The interior ministry has ordered that the governors and police chiefs cannot be interviewed.”

Ministry press officer Daad Mohammad Rasa acknowledged that the ministry had made such an order, saying, "We did this to avoid different views being expressed by different people – governors and police chiefs."

Mohammad Jawad Sharifzada is an IWPR staff reporter in Kabul.