Afghan Government According to the constitution of Afghanistan, the country is “an Islamic Republic, independent, unitary and indivisible state”.. Mohammad Daud The first Afghan president Abolished monarchy Laid the foundation of the republican system of government Called “Republic of Afghanistan” Official Name: The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan According to the constitution of Afghanistan, the country is “an Islamic Republic, independent, unitary and indivisible state”. Mohammad Daud, the first Afghan president, abolished monarchy and laid the foundation of the republican system of government in Afghanistan, where the head of state is not a monarch and the people (or at least a part of its people) have an impact on its government. Under Mohammad Daud’s rein, it was called Republic of Afghanistan in large part to his seculariism. Today, the full name of Afghanistan is the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan reflecting the increased importance of religion in the government since Daud. Portrait of Mohammad Daud during his funeral

Branches of Afghan Government Executive Daily administration of the state bureaucracy Judicial Courts that interpret and apply the laws The Afghan government is divided into the following three branches: Executive Judicial Legislative **We will briefly talk about each of these three branches separately, starting from the national level down to the local level because the strong top-down, vertical style of governance found in Afghanistan. Note which positions are elected, which are appointed, which require cooperation from local leaders, and the current events in Afghan politics. Legislative Assembly to pass, amend and repeal laws.

Executive Branch National (1) Provincial (34) District (398) President, VP, & Cabinet Provincial (34) Governors We will begin by talking about the executive branch in the Afghan government, starting with the national then moving into the local District (398) Governors

The National Executive Branch President Elected Current - Hamid Karzai 1. Vice - President 2. Vice – President The executive branch of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan includes the following: President Vice-presidents The cabinet with 25 ministries The president and the vice presidents are directly elected by the people of Afghanistan whereas the cabinet is appointed by the president and approved by the Wolesi Jirga (the lower house of the National Assembly), a legislative branch which we will talk about a little later. Elected Current - Qasim Fahim Elected Current - Karim Khalili 25 Cabinet Ministers Appointed by President Approved by Wolesi Jirga (Lower House)

Presidential Qualifications Afghan citizen No citizenship of another country Muslim Born of Afghan parents At least forty years of age upon declaring candidacy Presidential candidates in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan must: Be an Afghan citizen They must Not have citizenship of another country Be a Muslim Be born of Afghan parents, and Be at least forty years of age upon declaring candidacy Although there are other qualifications to be president, these five are the most fundamental. Voting in Afghanistan

President Hamid Karzai First elected president in November 2004 Declared President by the Afghan election commission November 02, 2009 Opponent withdrew from a run-off vote Second 5-year term The President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is Hamid Karzai. Karzai was first elected President in November 2004. He was declared president for a second 5-year term by the Afghan Independent Election Commission on November 2nd, 2009 after his opponent withdrew from a run-off vote  

Two Elected Vice-Presidents Mohammad Qasim Fahim An ethnic Tajik from the northern Panjsher province Abdul Karim Khalili An ethnic Hazara from Wardak province 1st Vice - President 2nd Vice– President There are two elected vice-presidents in the Afghan government. Mohammad Qasim Fahim, an ethnic Tajik from the northern Panjsher province, is the 1st Vice President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Abdul Karim Khalili, an ethnic Hazara from Wardak province of Afghanistan, is the 2nd Vice President of Afghanistan. The qualifications of a vice presidential candidate are similar to those of the presidential candidate. Mohammad Qasim Fahim (left) Hamid Karzai (middle) Abdul Karim Khalili (right)

Ethnicity and Elections Most Afghans tend to vote along ethnic lines The president of Afghanistan has almost always been a Pashtun Hamid Karzai is an ethnic Pashtun The two new vice presidents are Tajik and Hazara ethnicities. Man passing by pictures of presidential candidates Most Afghans vote along the ethnic lines because of extreme tensions and distrust amongst the main ethnic groups such as Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara and Uzbek. The president of Afghanistan has always been a Pashtun with the exception of Burhanuddin Rabbani and rulers before the republic government was formed. Hamid Karzai is an ethnic Pashtun from the Kandahar province. The two new vice presidents of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan are from Tajik and Hazara ethnicities. Pashtuns, Uzbeks & Turkmen, Tajiks, Hazaras, Nuristanis, etc.

25 ministries in the cabinet Headed by the president Cabinet of Ministers 25 ministries in the cabinet Headed by the president Ministers are appointed by the president and approved by the Wolesi Jirga More ministers can be added with the approval of the National Assembly Cabinet of Ministers There are presently 24 ministries in the cabinet headed by the president of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Ministers are appointed by the president and approved by the Wolesi Jirga, or the lower house. More ministers can be added with the approval of the National Assembly.

Cabinet of Ministers Qualifications Afghan citizen At least 35 years of age Have higher education Ministers can have citizenship of another country Candidates for the ministerial position must: Be an Afghan citizen Be at least 35 years of age Have higher education Amongst other qualifications Ministers, unlike the president and vice presidents, can have citizenship of another country, but the Wolesi Jirga has the right approve or reject a minister appointee with dual citizenship. Now, we will shift from the national executive branch to the provincial and district executive branch in Afghanistan. Note the role and influence of local leaders, such as Mullahs.

Executive at local level Provincial Governor One per province or Welayat There are 34 provinces District Governor Provinces are divided into districts or Walaswalai There are a total of 398 districts Provinces and Districts each have a capital cities and police forces. The executive branch of the government is led by the provincial governor in each province or Welayat. There are 34 provinces.   The province is divided into much smaller administrative units called Walaswalai , or district. There are a total of 398 districts. Each province has a district and provincial capital

Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG) August 30, 2007 Presidential Decree Responsible for the supervision of Provincial and District Governors and Councils and Municipalities Goals Strengthen government institutions at the sub-national level Ensure people’s participation in governance Eliminate discrimination against women Achieve measurable improvements in the delivery of services and the protection of rights of all Afghans Eliminate corruption in the public and private sector President IDLG   A presidential decree on August 30, 2007 declared Independent Directorate of Local Governance as responsible for the supervision of Provincial Governors, District Governors, Provincial Councils and Municipalities except Kabul. Independent Directorate of Local Governance was created to: -Strengthen government institutions at the sub-national level -Ensure people’s participation in governance -Eliminate discrimination against women -Achieve measurable improvements in the delivery of services and the protection of rights of all Afghans -Eliminate corruption in the public and private sector …amongst other goals. District Governors Provincial Governors District Councils Provincial Council

Directs provincial police chief and district governors Provincial Governor Provincial governor - Waalee Appointed by the President Responsible to the Independent Directorate of Local Governance Directs provincial police chief and district governors Provincial governor or Waalee is appointed by the President and is responsible to him through Independent Directorate of Local Governance )IDLG). Each provincial ministry director, provincial police chief and district governors report to the governor as well as their respective bosses in the Central Government. Meet the press

Provincial Governor and Village Leaders Mullahs – Islamic Scholar Maleks – Tribal Leader Village Elders A lot of influence with the governor Regularly meet with the governor Governors - Depend greatly on the cooperation of elders at the village level. Village elders also play a crucial role in local law enforcement Village elders, like Maleks and Mullahs, wield a lot of influence with the provincial governor. These village elders and Maleks regularly sit with the governor and discuss important current issues. The governors, for their part, depend greatly on the cooperation of elders at the village level. A lot of provinces have no police or other law enforcement bodies at the village level, so the provincial government has to rely on heavily on village elders, Maleks, Mullahs, etc. to fill this role. Meeting of village leaders

District Courts and Council District Governor District governor - Walaswal Appointed by IDLG with the coordination of the provincial governor. Reports to the provincial governor Provincial Governor Police Chief Ministry Directors District Governor District Courts and Council The District governor or Walaswal is recommended by IDLG in coordination with the provincial governor. The district governor reports directly to the provincial governor. District governor directs district directorates of ministries, the police chief and works with district councils as well the district courts, which are two district bodies of legislative and judicial branches. Inauguration event for district building.

District Governor and Village Elders District governors have a close relationship with the community District governors have regular meetings with local leaders District governors also lead local Jirgas. District governors rely heavily on the power of local elders The district governor is the closest person to villagers, the elders, Maleks, Mullahs, etc. District governor have regular meetings with local leaders about various issues. District governors also head local Jirgas, which requires a lot of interaction with village elders.. District governors, just like the provincial governors, rely heavily on the power and cooperation of local elders. Meeting of village elders

Wolesi Jirga & De Mishrano Jirga Legislative Branch National (2) Wolesi Jirga & De Mishrano Jirga Provincial (34) Provincial Council We will now turn our attention to the legislative branch in the Afghan government, also called the National Assembly, beginning with the national and moving to the local. District (398) District Council

Legislative Branch National Assembly Wolesi Jirga House of People The lower house of the national assembly Headed by Yunis Qanuni De Mishrano Jirga House of Elders The upper house of the national assembly. Headed by Sibghatullah Mujadidi Yunis Qanuni The Legislative branch, or the National Assembly, is divided into two houses: Wolesi Jirga, or the House of People, is the lower house of the national assembly. The Wolesi Jirga is headed by Yunis Qanuni. De Mishrano Jirga, or the House of Elders, is the upper house of the national assembly. The De Mishrano Jirga is headed by Sibghatullah Mujadidi. Sibghatullah Mujadidi

Election of Legislators - Wolesi Jirga Lower House of Representatives Currently - 249 seats Elected through free and direct elections Legislators are elected to the Wolesi Jirga, or the lower house of representatives, through free and direct elections. There are altogether 249 seats in the Wolesi Jirga.

Legislative Elections - De Meshrani Jirga Upper House - 102 Representative One third: Provincial councils Elected Four years term One-third: District councils Three year term One-third: Appointed Appointed by President and experts Two representatives from the disabled and impaired Two representatives from the Kochis 50% women Five year terms One hundred and two legislators are either elected or appointed to De Meshrani Jirga, or the upper house. One third of the representatives are elected from provincial councils. The council elects one person for a period of four years. B) One-third are elected from among the district councils of provinces. The councils elect one person each for a period of three years. C) One-third are appointed by the President from among experts and experienced personalities – including two representatives from the disabled and impaired and two representatives from the Kochis – appoints the remaining one-third of the members for a period of five years. The president appoints 50% of these people from among women.

Legislative at the local level Provincial councils District councils Provincial councilmen Represent their constituencies at the provincial level Work closely with the local government In 2009 there were no elections for the district councils Two were elected by all the members of the provincial council to De Meshrano Jirga There are provincial councils in the provinces as well as district councils at the district level. Provincial councilmen represent their constituencies at the provincial level and work closely with the local government. This year there were no elections for the district councils so instead of electing one councilman from each province, two were elected by all the members of the provincial council to De Meshrano Jirga.

Two Local Examples Helmand and Kandahar Now, lets take a look at the structure of the governments in Helmand and Kandahar province

Helmand Province Southern Province Population of 1,441, 769 Capital - Lashkargah 13 main districts Deshu Garmser Reg Nad Ali Nawai Barakzai Lashkargah Nahrisarraj Sangeen Washer Nawzad Musa Qala Baghran Kajaki Helmand is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan with a population of about 1.5 million. It has 13 districts which are Deshu, Garmser, Reg, Nad Ali, Nawai Barakzai, Lashkargah, Nahrisarraj, Sangeen, Washer, Nawzad, Musa Qala, Baghran, and Kajaki.   In the following slides you will see Helmand’s local government

Helmand Province: Executive Provincial Governor Mohammad Gulab Mangal AKA. Gulabuddin Mangal Deputy governor Abdul Sattar Mirzakwal. Provincial police chief Asadullah Sherzad Lashkargah Mayor Mohammad Dawood. Ministry Branches Province - (Riyasat, pl. riyasatoona) Districts - (moderiat, pl. –oona) Provincial Governor Provincial police chief Deputy governor Mayor of the Capital The governor of Helmand is at the top of the local government. Mohammad Gulab Mangal, aka Gulabuddin Mangal, is the governor of Helmand province with a deputy governor, Abdul Sattar Mirzakwal. The provincial police chief of Helmand province is Asadullah Sherzad and Lashkargah Mayor is Mohammad Dawood. Depending on the province, there are branches of government ministries in the capitals of the provinces called (Riyasat, pl. riyasatoona) and in the districts called (moderiat, pl. –oona).

Helmand Province: Executive Cont’d Heads of the directorates and district governors report to Gulab Mangal. Hajj and Religious Affairs Mukkhtar Ahmad Culture and Information Alishah Mazloomyar Education Sherin Agha National Security Dr. Mohammad Naeem Some district governors Habibullah of Nad Ali Fazl-ul Haq of Sangin Masood of Khanishin Mullah Abdul Salam of Musa Qala Provincial Governor Provincial police chief Deputy governor District governors Heads of ministries Mayor of the Capital The heads of these directorates report to Gulab Mangal. Some of these directorates are Hajj and Religious Affairs headed by Mukkhtar Ahmad, Culture and Information headed by Alishah Mazloomyar, Education headed by Sherin Agha, National Security by Dr Mohd Naeem and more. District governors also report to the provincial governor. Some of the district governors for instance, are, Habibullah of Nad Ali, Fazl-ul Haq of Sangin, Masood of Khanishin and Mullah Abdul Salam of Musa Qala districts.

Helmand Province: Legislative Fourteen members in Helmand’s provincial council Headed by Mohammad Anwar Provincial council members Based in the capital: Lashkargah Work with the local government Represent their constituencies There is a provincial council in Helmand consisting of fourteen members headed by Mohammad Anwar. Some of the other members of the council are Haji Talib, Haji Toor Khan, Haji Mohammad Gul, Haji Mohammad Naeem, and some women such as Salima Sharifi, Razia Baluch and Reza Gul. These provincial council members are based in the provincial capital, Lashka Gah, and work with the local government representing their constituencies from different districts.  

Kandahar Province Southern province Population of 913, 900 Capital – Kandahar City Kandahar’s Districts Arghandab, Arghistan, Daman, Dand, Ghorak, Kandahar, Khakrez, Maruf, Maywand, Mianishin, Nesh, Panjwaye, Reg (Registan), Shah Wali Kot, Shorabak, Spin Boldak, Takhta Pul, Zharai Kandahar is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan with a population of 913, 900. Its districts are Arghandab, Arghistan, Daman, Dand, Ghorak, Kandahar, Khakrez, Maruf, Maywand, Mianishin, Nesh, Panjwaye, Reg (Registan), Shah Wali Kot, Shorabak, Takhta Pul, and Zharai. Kandahar’s local government is broken into different branches in the following slides.

Kandahar Province: Executive Provincial Governor Provincial police chief Deputy governor Mayor of the Capital Governor of Kandahar Current: Dr. Tooryalai Wesa Deputy governor Ghulam Jelani Hamayoon. Provincial police chief Colonel Matiullah Qateh Kandahar city Mayor Ghulam Mohammad Ministry Branches Province - (Riyasat, pl. riyasatoona) Districts - (moderiat, pl. –oona) The governor of Kandahar is at the top of the local government. Dr Tooryalai Wesa is the current governor of Kandahar province. Wesa is considered close friend of Karzai. Deputy governor of the southern province is Ghulam Jelani Hamayoon. The provincial police chief of Kandahar province is Colonel Matiullah Qateh and Kandahar city Mayor is Ghulam Mohammad. Depending on the province, there are branches of government ministries in the capitals of the provinces called (Riyasat, pl. riyasatoona) and in the districts called (moderiat, pl. –oona). Governor of Kandahar Tooryalai Wesa

Kandahar Province: Executive Cont’d Directors of ministries report to governor Religious Affairs - Acting director Atef Public Works - Abdul Mohammad Counter Narcotics - Gul Mohammad Agriculture - Abdul Hai National Security - Momin District governors Haji Masood of Maywand Haji Baran of Panjwaye Ahmadullah Nazek of Dand Abdul Samad of Maruf Haji Abdul Jabar of Arghandab. Provincial Governor Provincial police chief Deputy governor District governors Heads of ministries Mayor of the Capital The heads of these directorates report to Dr. Tooryalai Wesa, the provincial governor of Kandahar.   Some directors of the departments in Kandahar include: - acting director Atef of the Hajj and Religious Affairs ministry, -Abdul Mohammad of the Public Works ministry, -Gul Mohammad of the ministry of Counter Narcotics, -Abdul Hai of the ministry of Agriculture, - and Momin of National Security District governors also report to the provincial governor. Some of the district governors in Kandahar are Haji Masood of Maywand, Haji Baran of Panjwaye, Ahmadullah Nazek of Dand, Abdul Samad of Maruf and Haji Abdul Jabar of Arghandab districts.

Kandahar Province: Legislative Fifteen members Headed by Ahmad Wali Karzai Brother of President Karzai Some of the other members of the council are Haji Agha Lalai, Haji Nematullah Khan, Mohammad Ehsan, and some Shakiba Ahmadi, Zarghuna Kakar and Sooria Barna. These provincial council members Based in the Kandahar Work with the local government representing their constituencies from different districts There is a provincial council in Kandahar of fifteen members headed by Ahmad Wali Karzai, brother of President Karzai. Some of the other members of the council are Haji Agha Lalai, Haji Nematullah Khan, Mohammad Ehsan, and some Shakiba Ahmadi, Zarghuna Kakar and Sooria Barna. These provincial council members are based in the provincial capital, Kandahar, and work with the local government representing their constituencies from different districts. Ahmad Wali Karzai