Afghan Transitional Administration
Encyclopedia
The Afghan Transitional Administration (alternately the Afghan Transitional Authority) was the name of a temporary administration of Afghanistan
put in place by the 2002 Loya Jirga
and followed the Afghan Interim Administration
which was installed after the Bonn Conference.
, a UN sponsored conference of a few Afghan leaders in Bonn led to the appointment of the Afghan Interim Administration
under the chairmanship of Hamid Karzai
. However, this Interim Administration, which was not broadly representative, was scheduled to last for only six months, before being replaced by a
Transitional Administration. The move to this second stage would require the convening of a traditional Afghan "grand assembly", called a Loya Jirga
. This Emergency Loya Jirga
elected a new Head of State and appointed the Transitional Administration, which, in turn, would run the country for a maximum of two more years until a "fully representative government" could be elected through free and fair elections.
and the US-backed chairman of the Afghan Interim Administration
Hamid Karzai
. Karzai was also supported by Abdullah Abdullah
and Mohammad Fahim, two important leaders of the Northern Alliance
.
A third possible candidate was Zahir Shah, former king of Afghanistan until 1973. He had spend years living in Rome but had returned to Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban regime. Already at the Bonn Conference which installed the interim administration there was a group of supporters of Zahir Shah, called the Rome-group, who wanted to take the former king to take up the position of head of state.
Upon arrival in Kabul, more than 800 delegates signed a petition urging the nomination of Zahir Shah as Head of State, if only as a figurehead. In view of the speculation, which the petition aroused, US and UN representatives pressed the former King to withdraw. The start of the Loya Jirga was delayed from 10 to 11 June because of "logistical and preparatory problems." On 10 June the US representative Zalmay Khalilzad
gave a press conference in which he declared that Zahir Shah was not a candidate. The same day, in a press conference of Zahir Shah the former king confirmed this and said "I have no intention of restoring the monarchy. I am not a candidate for any position in the Loya Jirga." Hamid Karzai, who sat next to Zahir Shah at the press conference called Zahir Shah the "father of the nation" and thanked him for the "confidence His Majesty has put in me." The next day former President Burhanuddin Rabbani
withdrew his candidacy for Head of State in favour of Hamid Karzai "for the sake of national unity"
So it looked like Karzai would go into the race for head of government uncontested, but two other candidates emerged. To be on the ballot at the Loya Jirga a candidate had to submit 150 signatures for his candidacy. Glam Fareq Majidi gathered only 101 signatures, so he was disqualified as candidate. Former mujahedeen fighter, Mohammed Asef Mohsoni submitted a list with 1,050 names for Karzai and also Masooda Jalal, a woman doctor working with the World Food Programme, and Mahfoz Nadai, an Uzbek army officer, poet and a deputy government minister gathered enough signatures to be on the ballot.
The election for president of the transitional administration was held by secret ballot on 13 June 2002 — with black-and-white photos of the candidates adjacent to their names. Hamid Karzai was chosen with an overwhelming majority of 83% and stayed in office as President.
Elections for President of Transitional Administration, by the 2002 Loya Jirga
|-
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left|Candidates
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Votes
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|%
|-
|align="left" |Hamid Karzai
|align="right" |1,295
|align="right" |83%
|-
|align="left" |Masooda Jalal
|align="right" |171
|align="right" |11%
|-
|align="left" |Mahfoz Nadai
|align="right" |89
|align="right" |6%
|-
|align="left" |Total Votes
|align="right" |1555
|align="right" |100%
|}
On 19 June, the last day of the Loya Jirga, Karzai announced the to the Loya Jirga the names of 14 ministers of the future Afghan transitional administration
, including three Vice-Presidents. He also named a Chief Justice.
"Do you accept this Cabinet," Karzai asked the loya jirga. After hands went up in support, he said, "All have accepted it and I am happy about it." This led to some controversy, since delegates stated that there had not been a properly vote and that the cabinet had not beek democratically selected, but was the result of political negotiations parallel at the loya jirga.
All three posts of Vice-President Karzai named were given to commanders of the Northern Alliance commanders though Karzai was careful to make sure none of the vice-presidents were from the same ethnic background.
After the Loya Jirga there was some controversies about the government Karzai had named and several names were added to the list before the actual cabinet was sworn in on 24 June, to appease certain factions within Afghanistan. On 22 June Karzai presented the more cabinet members, making the total number of ministers 29. This cabinet was installed at 24 June 2002. But due to controversie around the post of Woman's Affairs Minister this point stayed vacant.
Before the end of June Karzai named a Stat adviser to the Women's Affairs Ministry and later also a formal Women's Affairs Minister. In these last days of June Karzai also added two more vice-presidents and another National Security Adviser.
, so the Pasthun
majority wanted the following transitional administration to be more representative. In the original administration 9 of the 29 ministers were of Pashtun ethnic origin, in the new administration there were 13 Pashtun ministers among the 30 ministers.
trio Fahim, Qanuni and Abdullah kept important positions in the new cabinet.
The powerful warlord Ismail Khan
was not part of the administration, but he was represented by his son, Mir Wais Saddiq. Hoever Saddiq was assassinated in 2004 while being in office as minister.
Another powerful warlord, the Uzbek Abdul Rashid Dostum
was also not part of the cabinet, hoever there was one Uzbek more in the transiotional administration than in the interim administration.
, who worked at the World Bank, as Finance Minister. Juma Mohammedi who became Mines Minister was also a world bank employee. The new Interior minister Taj Mohammad Wardak held a US Citizenship as well as Ali Ahmad Jalali, who replaced him as Interior Minister in January 2003.
, one of the important Northern Alliance leaders, told the opening session he would be resigning as minister of the important post of interior so Karzai could strengthen the national government by broadening its ethnic mix. Yunus Qanuni, the former Interior minister, was unhappy with the post of Education Minister he had been assigned, since he had expected to become something like prime minister. Qanuni said he considered not joining the government at all. The rank-and-file Panjshiri troops who dominate the Interior Ministry temporarily blocked off the roads around the Interior Ministry complex in Kabul on 20 and 21 June and brandished weapons to demonstrate that their loyalties remain with Qanuni. They denied the New Interior Minister, the 80 year old Taj Mohammad Wardak
, access to the Interior ministry. After Karzai appointed Qanuni special adviser on security, which made Qanuni de facto supervisor of Wardak, he decided to join the administration anyway, but he also formed a party outside of the government and run for president in the next elections.
. Because at the Loya Jirga Samar wasn't on the list there was initially no minister appointed for woman's affairs. Karzai later appointed Government Mahbuba Huquqmal as State Representative in the Women's Affairs Ministry and after that Habiba Sarabi
as formal minister of Womans Affairs.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
put in place by the 2002 Loya Jirga
2002 loya jirga
An Emergency "Loya Jirga" was held in Kabul, Afghanistan between 11th and 19th June 2002 to elect a transitional administration in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Emergency Loya Jirga was called for by the Bonn Agreement. The agreement was drawn up in December 2001, in Bonn, Germany...
and followed the Afghan Interim Administration
Afghan Interim Administration
The Afghan Interim Administration was the first administration of Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban regime and was the highest authority of the country from 22 December 2001 until 13 July 2003.-Background:...
which was installed after the Bonn Conference.
Background
Following the US Invasion in AfghanistanWar in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
, a UN sponsored conference of a few Afghan leaders in Bonn led to the appointment of the Afghan Interim Administration
Afghan Interim Administration
The Afghan Interim Administration was the first administration of Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban regime and was the highest authority of the country from 22 December 2001 until 13 July 2003.-Background:...
under the chairmanship of Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
. However, this Interim Administration, which was not broadly representative, was scheduled to last for only six months, before being replaced by a
Transitional Administration. The move to this second stage would require the convening of a traditional Afghan "grand assembly", called a Loya Jirga
Loya jirga
A loya jirga is a type of jirga regarded as "grand assembly," a phrase in the Pashto language meaning "grand council." A loya jirga is a mass meeting usually prepared for major events such as choosing a new king, adopting a constitution, or discussing important national political or emergency...
. This Emergency Loya Jirga
2002 loya jirga
An Emergency "Loya Jirga" was held in Kabul, Afghanistan between 11th and 19th June 2002 to elect a transitional administration in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Emergency Loya Jirga was called for by the Bonn Agreement. The agreement was drawn up in December 2001, in Bonn, Germany...
elected a new Head of State and appointed the Transitional Administration, which, in turn, would run the country for a maximum of two more years until a "fully representative government" could be elected through free and fair elections.
Electing a Head of State
The most important thing the Loya Jirga had to do was to choose a president for the Transitional Administration who would lead the country until the official presidential elections in 2004. Initially there were two candidates who had declared to run: former president of Afghanistan and Northern Alliance leader Burhanuddin RabbaniBurhanuddin Rabbani
Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani was President of the Islamic State of Afghanistan from 1992 to 1996. After the Taliban government was toppled during Operation Enduring Freedom, Rabbani returned to Kabul and served as a temporary President from November to December 20, 2001, when Hamid Karzai was...
and the US-backed chairman of the Afghan Interim Administration
Afghan Interim Administration
The Afghan Interim Administration was the first administration of Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban regime and was the highest authority of the country from 22 December 2001 until 13 July 2003.-Background:...
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
. Karzai was also supported by Abdullah Abdullah
Abdullah Abdullah
Abdullah Abdullah is an Afghan politician and a doctor of medicine. He was an adviser and friend to Ahmad Shah Massoud, legendary anti-Taliban leader and commander known as the "Lion of Panjshir". After the fall of the Taliban regime, Dr. Abdullah served as Afghanistan's Foreign Minister from 2001...
and Mohammad Fahim, two important leaders of the Northern Alliance
Northern Alliance
The Afghan Northern Alliance is a military-political umbrella organization created by the Islamic State of Afghanistan in 1996.Northern Alliance may also refer to:*Northern Alliance , a Canadian white supremacist group...
.
A third possible candidate was Zahir Shah, former king of Afghanistan until 1973. He had spend years living in Rome but had returned to Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban regime. Already at the Bonn Conference which installed the interim administration there was a group of supporters of Zahir Shah, called the Rome-group, who wanted to take the former king to take up the position of head of state.
Upon arrival in Kabul, more than 800 delegates signed a petition urging the nomination of Zahir Shah as Head of State, if only as a figurehead. In view of the speculation, which the petition aroused, US and UN representatives pressed the former King to withdraw. The start of the Loya Jirga was delayed from 10 to 11 June because of "logistical and preparatory problems." On 10 June the US representative Zalmay Khalilzad
Zalmay Khalilzad
Zalmay Mamozy Khalilzad is a counselor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and president of Khalilzad Associates, an international business consulting firm based in Washington, DC. He was the United States Ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush...
gave a press conference in which he declared that Zahir Shah was not a candidate. The same day, in a press conference of Zahir Shah the former king confirmed this and said "I have no intention of restoring the monarchy. I am not a candidate for any position in the Loya Jirga." Hamid Karzai, who sat next to Zahir Shah at the press conference called Zahir Shah the "father of the nation" and thanked him for the "confidence His Majesty has put in me." The next day former President Burhanuddin Rabbani
Burhanuddin Rabbani
Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani was President of the Islamic State of Afghanistan from 1992 to 1996. After the Taliban government was toppled during Operation Enduring Freedom, Rabbani returned to Kabul and served as a temporary President from November to December 20, 2001, when Hamid Karzai was...
withdrew his candidacy for Head of State in favour of Hamid Karzai "for the sake of national unity"
So it looked like Karzai would go into the race for head of government uncontested, but two other candidates emerged. To be on the ballot at the Loya Jirga a candidate had to submit 150 signatures for his candidacy. Glam Fareq Majidi gathered only 101 signatures, so he was disqualified as candidate. Former mujahedeen fighter, Mohammed Asef Mohsoni submitted a list with 1,050 names for Karzai and also Masooda Jalal, a woman doctor working with the World Food Programme, and Mahfoz Nadai, an Uzbek army officer, poet and a deputy government minister gathered enough signatures to be on the ballot.
The election for president of the transitional administration was held by secret ballot on 13 June 2002 — with black-and-white photos of the candidates adjacent to their names. Hamid Karzai was chosen with an overwhelming majority of 83% and stayed in office as President.
Elections for President of Transitional Administration, by the 2002 Loya Jirga
|-
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left|Candidates
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Votes
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|%
|-
|align="left" |Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
|align="right" |1,295
|align="right" |83%
|-
|align="left" |Masooda Jalal
|align="right" |171
|align="right" |11%
|-
|align="left" |Mahfoz Nadai
|align="right" |89
|align="right" |6%
|-
|align="left" |Total Votes
|align="right" |1555
|align="right" |100%
|}
Appointing the Government Ministers
On 18 June, the day that Karzai would present his cabinet to the Loya Jirga he told the loya jirga that he needed one more day to make his final list.On 19 June, the last day of the Loya Jirga, Karzai announced the to the Loya Jirga the names of 14 ministers of the future Afghan transitional administration
Afghan Transitional Administration
The Afghan Transitional Administration was the name of a temporary administration of Afghanistan put in place by the 2002 Loya Jirga and followed the Afghan Interim Administration which was installed after the Bonn Conference.-Background:Following the US Invasion in Afghanistan, a UN sponsored...
, including three Vice-Presidents. He also named a Chief Justice.
"Do you accept this Cabinet," Karzai asked the loya jirga. After hands went up in support, he said, "All have accepted it and I am happy about it." This led to some controversy, since delegates stated that there had not been a properly vote and that the cabinet had not beek democratically selected, but was the result of political negotiations parallel at the loya jirga.
All three posts of Vice-President Karzai named were given to commanders of the Northern Alliance commanders though Karzai was careful to make sure none of the vice-presidents were from the same ethnic background.
After the Loya Jirga there was some controversies about the government Karzai had named and several names were added to the list before the actual cabinet was sworn in on 24 June, to appease certain factions within Afghanistan. On 22 June Karzai presented the more cabinet members, making the total number of ministers 29. This cabinet was installed at 24 June 2002. But due to controversie around the post of Woman's Affairs Minister this point stayed vacant.
Before the end of June Karzai named a Stat adviser to the Women's Affairs Ministry and later also a formal Women's Affairs Minister. In these last days of June Karzai also added two more vice-presidents and another National Security Adviser.
Composition of Transitional Administration
| Transitional Authority Position |
Name | Ethnicity | Incumbent/New |
|---|---|---|---|
| President President of Afghanistan Afghanistan has only been a republic between 1973 and 1992 and from 2001 onwards. Before 1973, it was a monarchy that was governed by a variety of kings, emirs or shahs... |
Hamid Karzai Hamid Karzai Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001... |
Pashtun Pashtun people Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan... |
Incumbent (before chairman) |
| Vice-President and Defense Minister |
Mohammed Fahim Mohammed Fahim Mohammad Qasim Fahim is an Afghan military commander, politician and the First Vice President since November 2009. He was the Defense Minister of the Afghan Transitional Administration, beginning in 2002 and also served as Vice President from June 2002 to December 2004... |
Tajik | Incumbent |
| Vice-President | Karim Khalili Karim Khalili Abdul Karim Khalili is the current second Vice President of Afghanistan in the administration of President Hamid Karzai. Khalili was appointed first time as Vice President in 2002 and was elected as running mate of Hamid Karzai in 2004... |
Hazara | New |
| Vice-President | Hedayat Amin Arsala | Pashtun Pashtun people Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan... |
New (was Finance Minister) |
| Vice-President and Public Works Minister |
Abdul Qadir Abdul Qadir (Afghan leader) Hajji Abdul Qadir Arsala was a former anti-Taliban leader in the United Islamic Front in Afghanistan... Abdul Ali Abdul Ali Abdul Ali Bahari is a Kenyan politician. A member of the Kenya African National Union, Ali was elected to represent the Isiolo South Constituency in the National Assembly of Kenya in the 2007 parliamentary election.-References:... |
Pashtun Pashtun people Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan... |
New (was Urban Affairs Minister) (killed on July 6 2002) New (Ali only took over the Publik works portefeuille after July 6 2002 |
| Vice-President and head of the Afghan Constitution Commission Afghan Constitution Commission The Afghan Constitution Commission was established October 5, 2002 as required by the Bonn Agreement, which stipulated that a new Afghan constitution be adopted by a loya jirga... |
Nematullah Shahrani Nematullah Shahrani Professor Nematullah Shahrani is one of the most prominent Afghan scholars. He was one of four Vice Presidents of the Afghan Transitional Administration from 2002 to 2004. Shahrani also headed of the Afghan Constitution Commission.... |
Uzbek | New |
| Special Advisor on Security and Education Minister |
Yunus Qanooni | Tajik | Incumbent (Special Advisor on Security is new post) |
| Foreign Minister | Abdullah Abdullah Abdullah Abdullah Abdullah Abdullah is an Afghan politician and a doctor of medicine. He was an adviser and friend to Ahmad Shah Massoud, legendary anti-Taliban leader and commander known as the "Lion of Panjshir". After the fall of the Taliban regime, Dr. Abdullah served as Afghanistan's Foreign Minister from 2001... |
Tajik | Incumbent |
| Finance Minister | Ashraf Ghani Ashraf Ghani Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai is a prominent politician in Afghanistan and the former chancellor of Kabul University. He is also the chairman of the Institute for State Effectiveness, an organization set up in 2005 to promote the ability of states to serve their citizens. Before returning to... |
Pashtun Pashtun people Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan... |
New |
| Interior Minister | Taj Mohammed Wardak Ali Ahmad Jalali Ali Ahmad Jalali Ali Ahmad Jalali is an Afghan American and a Distinguished Professor at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies of the United States' National Defense University. He is also a former Interior Minister of Afghanistan, serving in that position from January 2003 to September 2005.Jalali... |
Pashtun Pashtun people Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan... Pashtun Pashtun people Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan... |
New New (Jalali replaced Wardak in Januari 2003) |
| Planning Minister | Mohammed Mohaqqeq | Hazara | Incumbent (but lost role as vice-chair) |
| Communications Minister | Masoom Stanakzai | Pashtun Pashtun people Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan... |
New |
| Borders Minister | Arif Nurzai | Pashtun Pashtun people Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan... |
New (was Small Industries Minister) |
| Refugees Minister | Intayatullah Nazeri | Tajik | Incumbent |
| Mines Minister | Juma Muhammad Muhammadi | Pashtun Pashtun people Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan... |
New |
| Light Industries Minister | Mohammed Alim Razm | Uzbek Uzbeks The Uzbeks are a Turkic ethnic group in Central Asia. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, and large populations can also be found in Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Pakistan, Mongolia and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China... |
Incumbent |
| Health Minister | Sohaila Siddiqi | Pashtun Pashtun people Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan... |
Incumbent |
| Commerce Minister Afghan Commerce Minister Current and past governments of Afghanistan have included a Minister of Commerce in the Afghan cabinet.... |
Sayed Mustafa Kasemi | Shiite Muslim | Incumbent |
| Agriculture Minister | Sayed Hussain Anwari | Hazara | Incumbent |
| Justice Minister | Abbas Karimi | Uzbek Uzbeks The Uzbeks are a Turkic ethnic group in Central Asia. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, and large populations can also be found in Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Pakistan, Mongolia and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China... |
Incumbent |
| Information and Culture Minister | Saeed Makhdoom Rahim | Tajik | Incumbent |
| Reconstruction Minister | Mohammed Fahim Farhang | Pashtun Pashtun people Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan... |
Incumbent |
| Haj and Mosques Minister | Mohammed Amin Naziryar | Pashtun Pashtun people Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan... |
New |
| Urban Affairs Minister | Yusuf Pashtun Gul Agha Sherzai Gul Agha Sherzai Gul Agha Sherzai is the current Governor of Nangarhar province in Afghanistan.He previously served as Governor of Kandahar province, in the early 1990s and from 2001 until 2003.-Biography:... |
Pashtun Pashtun people Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan... Pashtun Pashtun people Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan... |
New New (Sherzai took over on August 16, 2003) |
| Water and Power Minister | Ahmed Shakar Karkar | Uzbek Uzbeks The Uzbeks are a Turkic ethnic group in Central Asia. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, and large populations can also be found in Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Pakistan, Mongolia and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China... |
Incumbent (but los role as Vice-chair) |
| Irrigation & Environment Minister | Ahmed Yusuf Nuristani Ahmed Yusuf Nuristani Dr. Ahmad Yusuf Nuristani is a politician in Afghanistan. He was the spokesperson for President Hamid Karzai during the interim administration. Subsequently, he was appointed as Water and Energy during the transitional period of Afghan government. In January 2005, he became First Deputy Minister of... |
Pashtun Pashtun people Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan... |
New |
| Martyrs and Disabled Minister | Abdullah Wardak Abdullah Wardak Mohammad Jan Abdullah Wardak was an Afghan politician and former Mujahideen commander. He served as a government Minister and Governor of Logar Province.- Biography :... |
Pashtun Pashtun people Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan... |
Incumbent |
| Higher Education Minister | Sharif Faez | Tajik | Incumbent |
| Civil Aviation & Tourism Minister | Mir Wais Saddiq | Tajik | New (was Labor and Social Affairs Minister) |
| Transportation Minister | Saeed Mohammed Ali Jawad | Shiite Muslim | |
| Rural Development Minister | Hanif Asmar | Pashtun Pashtun people Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan... |
New |
| Labor and Social Affairs Minister | Noor Mohammad Qarqin | ||
| Woman's Affairs Minister | Habiba Sarabi Habiba Sarabi Dr. Habiba Sarabi is a hematologist, politician, and reformer of the post-Taliban reconstruction of Afghanistan. In 2005, she was appointed as governor of Bamyan Province by President Hamid Karzai, becoming the first woman to ever be a governor of any province in the country... |
New | |
| Supreme Court Chief Justice | Hadi Shinwari | Pashtun Pashtun people Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan... |
|
| Security Advisor | Zalmay Rassoul | ||
| State or Advisor-Minister for Women's Affairs | Mahbooba Hoquqmal | ||
| Governor of the Afghan Central Bank | Anwar ul-Haq Ahadi Anwar ul-Haq Ahadi Anwar ul-Haq Ahady is a prominent academic and politician in Afghanistan, who served as the nation's Finance Minister from December 2004 to February 5, 2009. Prior to that he served as head of Da Afghanistan Bank, the central bank of Afghanistan... |
Pashtun Pashtun people Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan... |
More Pashtun representation
The interim government was for a great deal dominated by Tajik warlords from the Northern AllianceNorthern Alliance
The Afghan Northern Alliance is a military-political umbrella organization created by the Islamic State of Afghanistan in 1996.Northern Alliance may also refer to:*Northern Alliance , a Canadian white supremacist group...
, so the Pasthun
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
majority wanted the following transitional administration to be more representative. In the original administration 9 of the 29 ministers were of Pashtun ethnic origin, in the new administration there were 13 Pashtun ministers among the 30 ministers.
Cabinet of Warlords?
The Pasthun element in the Transitional administration was stronger than in the imterin administration, Hoever, the Northern Alliance still dominated the government. The three vice-presidents Karzai announced on the Loya Jirga, Khalili, Qadir and Fahim were all Northern Alliance commanders, although none of them had the same ethnic background. The powerful Tajik Jamiat-e IslamiJamiat-e Islami
Jamiat-e Islami , is an Islamic political party in Afghanistan along the line of the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt. Jamiat-e Islami means "Islamic society" in the Persian language and is also known as just Jamiat for short. Jamiat is the oldest Islamic political party in Afghanistan...
trio Fahim, Qanuni and Abdullah kept important positions in the new cabinet.
The powerful warlord Ismail Khan
Ismail Khan
Ismail Khan is a politician and former mujahideen commander from Afghanistan. Born in the western Afghan city of Herat, he rose to become a powerful rebel commander during in the Soviet War in Afghanistan, and then a key member of the Northern Alliance until finally becoming the Governor of Herat...
was not part of the administration, but he was represented by his son, Mir Wais Saddiq. Hoever Saddiq was assassinated in 2004 while being in office as minister.
Another powerful warlord, the Uzbek Abdul Rashid Dostum
Abdul Rashid Dostum
Abdul Rashid Dostum is a former pro-Soviet fighter during the Soviet war in Afghanistan and is considered by many to be the leader of Afghanistan's Uzbek community and the party Junbish-e Milli-yi Islami-yi Afghanistan...
was also not part of the cabinet, hoever there was one Uzbek more in the transiotional administration than in the interim administration.
Adding Royalists
At the Loya Jirga Karzai named former King Zahir Shah the Father of the Nation. Hoever, some of the king's supporters thought that an honourary title wasn't enough for the king and they had rather seen him in an official position as president, with Karzai in a position as prime minister. Also, two of the Kings loyalist Hedayahat Amin Arsala and Abdul Rassoul Amin had lost the position they had in the interim government. Because the members loyal to Zahir Shah, united in the 'Rome group' thought they had to less influence, Karzai added in end June Zalmay Rassoul as Security Adviser and Amin Arsala as a fifth vice-president.Western schooled intellectuals
Karzai was also under pressure to put some highly educated Afghans on the administration who had became refugees during the Communist rule or Taliban rule of Afghanistan and had been schooled by western universities. The most remarcable person Karzai put in his administration was Ashraf GhaniAshraf Ghani
Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai is a prominent politician in Afghanistan and the former chancellor of Kabul University. He is also the chairman of the Institute for State Effectiveness, an organization set up in 2005 to promote the ability of states to serve their citizens. Before returning to...
, who worked at the World Bank, as Finance Minister. Juma Mohammedi who became Mines Minister was also a world bank employee. The new Interior minister Taj Mohammad Wardak held a US Citizenship as well as Ali Ahmad Jalali, who replaced him as Interior Minister in January 2003.
Opposition from Yunus Qanuni
Because of this issue of Pashtun under representation, Yunus QanuniYunus Qanuni
Yunus Qanuni is a politician in Afghanistan. An ethnic Tajik from the Panjshir Valley in Afghanistan, Qanuni is the leader of the Afghanistan e Naween political party and former Speaker of the House of the People .-Pre Election...
, one of the important Northern Alliance leaders, told the opening session he would be resigning as minister of the important post of interior so Karzai could strengthen the national government by broadening its ethnic mix. Yunus Qanuni, the former Interior minister, was unhappy with the post of Education Minister he had been assigned, since he had expected to become something like prime minister. Qanuni said he considered not joining the government at all. The rank-and-file Panjshiri troops who dominate the Interior Ministry temporarily blocked off the roads around the Interior Ministry complex in Kabul on 20 and 21 June and brandished weapons to demonstrate that their loyalties remain with Qanuni. They denied the New Interior Minister, the 80 year old Taj Mohammad Wardak
Taj Mohammad Wardak
Taj Mohammad Wardak is an Afghan politician, from the Pashtun ethnic group.He spent some of the period of the Taliban's administration in the United States of America, and became an American citizen.-Early political career:...
, access to the Interior ministry. After Karzai appointed Qanuni special adviser on security, which made Qanuni de facto supervisor of Wardak, he decided to join the administration anyway, but he also formed a party outside of the government and run for president in the next elections.
Woman's Affairs
There was also controversy around the post of minister for woman's affairs: Interim Womans Affairs Minister Sima Samar had been very outspoken and she had been threatened and complaints against here were filed by the supreme court who eventually decided not to charge her with blasphemyBlasphemy
Blasphemy is irreverence towards religious or holy persons or things. Some countries have laws to punish blasphemy, while others have laws to give recourse to those who are offended by blasphemy...
. Because at the Loya Jirga Samar wasn't on the list there was initially no minister appointed for woman's affairs. Karzai later appointed Government Mahbuba Huquqmal as State Representative in the Women's Affairs Ministry and after that Habiba Sarabi
Habiba Sarabi
Dr. Habiba Sarabi is a hematologist, politician, and reformer of the post-Taliban reconstruction of Afghanistan. In 2005, she was appointed as governor of Bamyan Province by President Hamid Karzai, becoming the first woman to ever be a governor of any province in the country...
as formal minister of Womans Affairs.