Revolutionary Council (Afghanistan)
Encyclopedia
The Revolutionary Council of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
(PDPA) ruled the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan
from 1978 until its collapse in 1992. The council was the supreme state power
under the communist regime and was a carbon copy of the Supreme Soviet
. The point with the council was to convene on a semiannual basis to approve decisions made by the presidium
.
the biggest problem facing the party was the inner conflict between the two biggest groups in the party, the Khalq
s and the Parcham
s. After sizing power Nur Mohammad Taraki refused to reveal information about the PDPA's organization and how it was built up. Taraki never revealed the identities of the members of the Revolutionary Council during his reign.
When the PDPA sized power with help from the Afghan army
, it was the army soldiers to announced their victory over Mohammed Daoud Khan
and the first decree ever released by the government was released by the Revolutionary Council of the Armed Forces under the control of Afghan air force Colonel
Abdul Qadir Dagarwal
. The Revolutionary Council of the Armed Forces eventually merged itself with the Revolutionary Council of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. Later on the members of the Revolutionary Council met and elected Taraki as the Chairman of the Council and Prime Minister of Afghanistan
. Taraki eventually revealed that there were in total 35 members in the council, which five of them were military officers and all of them were members of the PDPA. Taraki never published a list of the members of the Revolutionary Council and because of that most their names remains unknown.
On the Revolutionary Council's second meeting on the 1 May, 1978 they elected the new Ministers of Afghanistan. The meeting showed indicated that the distrubtion of power was in the Khalq
s hands. With 11 Khalqs being elected and 7 Parcham
s. Babrak Karmal
was elected to the position of Vice Chairman of the council, the second highest position. He was also elected Deputy Prime Minister in which he shared with Hafizullah Amin
and Mohammad Aslam Watanjar
. While a minority, the Parcham were able to get som important ministries such Minister of Interior under control by Nur Ahmed Nur
. The Khalq
s had full control of the Afghan security forces, Major Daoud Taroon was elected Chief of Police and Assadullah Sarwari
was elected as the new boss of the Afghan secret police, AGSA
.
On the 24 May, 1978 the Politburo
announced the enlargement of the Revolutionary Council. This new enlarged council met for the first time on the 12 June, 1978, this meeting is marked with two controversial changes. The first being to change the flag and replace it with a fully red one. The other being the decleration of the royal family
to be traitors and removing their Afghan citizenships. Five days later the Revolutionary Council had a new meeting about the Parcham in the government, while not much information was or has been released about this meeting most of the Parcham politicians of the party were sent abroad as ambassador
s.
Under the regime of Karmal, the Parchams took the most important government positions, while also Independent
politician rose to power. The Khalq
i faction still outnumbered the Parchams, especially in Afghan military
and other security sectors. Because of the Khalq-Parcham power struggle discipline within the party broke down. Karmal tried to replace seven Khalqi military officers with Parchams to get better control of the party, the officers ended sending the letters back. The government did nothing to interverne or stop these officers, while the government of Karmal eventually executed thirteen Amin supporters. This would indirectly lead to the Khalqi failed military coups in June, July and October which all happened in 1980. This eventually led to the purge of the Khalqies from the government which virtually shut down the government leaving the country at the hands of the Soviet advisors. During this phase the Parchams with the help of the Soviets were able to crush the coup at the last second. While Karmal was unsuccessful when it came to destroy factionalism
within the party, the party became more secure because of the Khalqi purge of the government. In June 1981 the Revolutionary Council with the Central Committee was again expanded, with now including fifteen more members. At this meeting Nur was appointed President of the Council and Sultan Ali Keshtmand
became the new Prime Minister of Afghanistan
.
leader Mohammad Najibullah
. Before Najibullah rose to power Sultan Ali Keshtmand
was acting president of Afghanistan and the council. Under Najibullah's sought a ceasefire between Mujahideen
and government forces
, he called this process National Reconciliation
. After the National Reconciliation talks the Loya jirga
ratified the new constitution made by Najibullah and various resistance groups. The new constitution abolished the one-party system in the country and saw the establishment of the Meli Shura (Loya jirga
), Sena (Senate
) and the Wolasi Jirga (House of Representatives
) which would eventually replace the Revolutionary Council. They also agreed to remove "democratic" from the official name of Afghanistan, so since 1987-1992 the official name was the Republic of Afghanistan
.
. None to few Presidium members were members of the Council of Ministers, suggesting a deliberate attempt of separating power between the two governmental bodies. Not much is known about the Presidium during Taraki and Amin's rule from 1978-1979. Right after the Soviet invasion
it consisted of seven members, in which four of them were Parcham
s and three of them Khalq
s.
The Presidium was the permanent ruling body of the Revolutionary Council. Members of the Presidium were elected by the Revolutionary Council. The President of the Revolutionary Council was the Chairman of the Presidium. The responsibilities of the Presidium were to enforce law
s, granting amnesty
or punishment
among others.
People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
The People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan was a communist party established on the 1 January 1965. While a minority, the party helped former president of Afghanistan, Mohammed Daoud Khan, to overthrow his cousin, Mohammed Zahir Shah, and established Daoud's Republic of Afghanistan...
(PDPA) ruled the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan
Democratic Republic of Afghanistan
The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan was a government of Afghanistan between 1978 and 1992. It was both ideologically close to and economically dependent on the Soviet Union, and was a major belligerent of the Afghan Civil War.- Saur Revolution :...
from 1978 until its collapse in 1992. The council was the supreme state power
State power
State power may refer to:*Police power, the capacity of a state to regulate behaviours and enforce order within its territory*Government force, state coercion to induce conforming social results* The extroverted concept of power in international relations...
under the communist regime and was a carbon copy of the Supreme Soviet
Supreme Soviet
The Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union was the Supreme Soviet in the Soviet Union and the only one with the power to pass constitutional amendments...
. The point with the council was to convene on a semiannual basis to approve decisions made by the presidium
Presidium
The presidium or praesidium is the name for the heading organ of various legislative and organizational bodies.-Historical usage:...
.
Rise to power
After the Saur RevolutionSaur Revolution
The Saur Revolution is the name given to the Communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan takeover of political power from the government of Afghanistan on 28 April 1978. The word 'Saur', i.e...
the biggest problem facing the party was the inner conflict between the two biggest groups in the party, the Khalq
Khalq
Khalq was a faction of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan. Its historical leaders were Presidents Nur Muhammad Taraki and Hafizullah Amin. It was also the name of the leftist newspaper produced by the same movement. It was supported by the USSR and was formed in 1965 when the PDPA was born...
s and the Parcham
Parcham
Parcham was the name of one of the factions of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan. The Parcham faction seized power in the country after toppling Hafizullah Amin....
s. After sizing power Nur Mohammad Taraki refused to reveal information about the PDPA's organization and how it was built up. Taraki never revealed the identities of the members of the Revolutionary Council during his reign.
When the PDPA sized power with help from the Afghan army
Afghan National Army
The Afghan National Army is a service branch of the military of Afghanistan, which is currently trained by the coalition forces to ultimately take the role in land-based military operations in Afghanistan. , the Afghan National Army is divided into seven regional Corps. The strength of the Afghan...
, it was the army soldiers to announced their victory over Mohammed Daoud Khan
Mohammed Daoud Khan
Sardar Mohammed Daoud Khan or Daud Khan was Prime Minister of Afghanistan from 1953 to 1963 and later becoming the President of Afghanistan...
and the first decree ever released by the government was released by the Revolutionary Council of the Armed Forces under the control of Afghan air force Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Abdul Qadir Dagarwal
Abdul Qadir Dagarwal
Abdul Qadir Dagarwal , a colonel, was the leader of the Afghan Air Force squadrons that attacked the Radio-TV Station during the 1978 Coup that started the Saur Revolution....
. The Revolutionary Council of the Armed Forces eventually merged itself with the Revolutionary Council of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. Later on the members of the Revolutionary Council met and elected Taraki as the Chairman of the Council and Prime Minister of Afghanistan
Prime Minister of Afghanistan
The Prime Minister of Afghanistan is a currently defunct post in the Afghan Government.The position was created in 1927, and was appointed by the king, mostly as an advisor, until the end of the monarchy in 1973...
. Taraki eventually revealed that there were in total 35 members in the council, which five of them were military officers and all of them were members of the PDPA. Taraki never published a list of the members of the Revolutionary Council and because of that most their names remains unknown.
On the Revolutionary Council's second meeting on the 1 May, 1978 they elected the new Ministers of Afghanistan. The meeting showed indicated that the distrubtion of power was in the Khalq
Khalq
Khalq was a faction of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan. Its historical leaders were Presidents Nur Muhammad Taraki and Hafizullah Amin. It was also the name of the leftist newspaper produced by the same movement. It was supported by the USSR and was formed in 1965 when the PDPA was born...
s hands. With 11 Khalqs being elected and 7 Parcham
Parcham
Parcham was the name of one of the factions of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan. The Parcham faction seized power in the country after toppling Hafizullah Amin....
s. Babrak Karmal
Babrak Karmal
Babrak Karmal was the third President of Afghanistan during the period of the communist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. He is the best known of the Marxist leadership....
was elected to the position of Vice Chairman of the council, the second highest position. He was also elected Deputy Prime Minister in which he shared with Hafizullah Amin
Hafizullah Amin
Hafizullah Amin was the second President of Afghanistan during the period of the communist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan....
and Mohammad Aslam Watanjar
Mohammad Aslam Watanjar
Mohammad Aslam Watanjar was an Afghan General and Politician. ] He started the "Saur Revolution".Watanjar later became a member of the politburo in the Soviet-backed Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, playing prominent roles in the communist coup as well as the coup that overthrew the...
. While a minority, the Parcham were able to get som important ministries such Minister of Interior under control by Nur Ahmed Nur
Nur Ahmed Nur
Nur Ahmed Nur , an Afghan communist, belonging to the Parcham fraction. Nur was one of four candidates of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan who were elected to the Afghan parliament in 1965. After the overthrow of the Daoud government in April 1978, Nur became Minister for Internal Affairs...
. The Khalq
Khalq
Khalq was a faction of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan. Its historical leaders were Presidents Nur Muhammad Taraki and Hafizullah Amin. It was also the name of the leftist newspaper produced by the same movement. It was supported by the USSR and was formed in 1965 when the PDPA was born...
s had full control of the Afghan security forces, Major Daoud Taroon was elected Chief of Police and Assadullah Sarwari
Assadullah Sarwari
Assadullah Sarwari is an Afghan politician, who belongd to the Khalq faction of the communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan....
was elected as the new boss of the Afghan secret police, AGSA
KHAD
Khadamat-e Etela'at-e Dawlati translates directly to English as: "Government Information Agency". However, this phrase is more correctly translated as Government Intelligence Service...
.
On the 24 May, 1978 the Politburo
Politburo of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
At its foundation the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan Central Committee consisted of:- First Poltiburo permanent members :The PDPA held its First Congress on January 1, 1965...
announced the enlargement of the Revolutionary Council. This new enlarged council met for the first time on the 12 June, 1978, this meeting is marked with two controversial changes. The first being to change the flag and replace it with a fully red one. The other being the decleration of the royal family
Royal family
A royal family is the extended family of a king or queen regnant. The term imperial family appropriately describes the extended family of an emperor or empress, while the terms "ducal family", "grand ducal family" or "princely family" are more appropriate to describe the relatives of a reigning...
to be traitors and removing their Afghan citizenships. Five days later the Revolutionary Council had a new meeting about the Parcham in the government, while not much information was or has been released about this meeting most of the Parcham politicians of the party were sent abroad as ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
s.
Under the regime of Karmal, the Parchams took the most important government positions, while also Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
politician rose to power. The Khalq
Khalq
Khalq was a faction of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan. Its historical leaders were Presidents Nur Muhammad Taraki and Hafizullah Amin. It was also the name of the leftist newspaper produced by the same movement. It was supported by the USSR and was formed in 1965 when the PDPA was born...
i faction still outnumbered the Parchams, especially in Afghan military
Military of Afghanistan
The military of Afghanistan is composed of the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Army Air Force . Being a landlocked country, Afghanistan has no navy, and the private security forces who are sometimes seen wearing military uniforms are not part of Afghanistan's military...
and other security sectors. Because of the Khalq-Parcham power struggle discipline within the party broke down. Karmal tried to replace seven Khalqi military officers with Parchams to get better control of the party, the officers ended sending the letters back. The government did nothing to interverne or stop these officers, while the government of Karmal eventually executed thirteen Amin supporters. This would indirectly lead to the Khalqi failed military coups in June, July and October which all happened in 1980. This eventually led to the purge of the Khalqies from the government which virtually shut down the government leaving the country at the hands of the Soviet advisors. During this phase the Parchams with the help of the Soviets were able to crush the coup at the last second. While Karmal was unsuccessful when it came to destroy factionalism
Political faction
A political faction is a grouping of individuals, such as a political party, a trade union, or other group with a political purpose. A faction or political party may include fragmented sub-factions, “parties within a party," which may be referred to as power blocs, or voting blocs. The individuals...
within the party, the party became more secure because of the Khalqi purge of the government. In June 1981 the Revolutionary Council with the Central Committee was again expanded, with now including fifteen more members. At this meeting Nur was appointed President of the Council and Sultan Ali Keshtmand
Sultan Ali Keshtmand
Sultan Ali Keshtmand, sometimes transliterated Kishtmand, born May 22, 1935 in Kabul, was an Afghan politician. He served twice as Prime Minister during the 1980s, from 1981 to 1988 and from 1989 to 1990 in the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan....
became the new Prime Minister of Afghanistan
Prime Minister of Afghanistan
The Prime Minister of Afghanistan is a currently defunct post in the Afghan Government.The position was created in 1927, and was appointed by the king, mostly as an advisor, until the end of the monarchy in 1973...
.
New constitution
In November 1986, Karmal resigned his post as President of the Council and left the new post open to former KHADKHAD
Khadamat-e Etela'at-e Dawlati translates directly to English as: "Government Information Agency". However, this phrase is more correctly translated as Government Intelligence Service...
leader Mohammad Najibullah
Mohammad Najibullah
Mohammad Najibullah Ahmadzai , originally merely Najibullah, was the fourth and last President of the Soviet-backed Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. He is also considered the second President of the Republic of Afghanistan.-Early years:Najibullah was born in August 1947 to the Ahmadzai...
. Before Najibullah rose to power Sultan Ali Keshtmand
Sultan Ali Keshtmand
Sultan Ali Keshtmand, sometimes transliterated Kishtmand, born May 22, 1935 in Kabul, was an Afghan politician. He served twice as Prime Minister during the 1980s, from 1981 to 1988 and from 1989 to 1990 in the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan....
was acting president of Afghanistan and the council. Under Najibullah's sought a ceasefire between Mujahideen
Mujahideen
Mujahideen are Muslims who struggle in the path of God. The word is from the same Arabic triliteral as jihad .Mujahideen is also transliterated from Arabic as mujahedin, mujahedeen, mudžahedin, mudžahidin, mujahidīn, mujaheddīn and more.-Origin of the concept:The beginnings of Jihad are traced...
and government forces
Military of Afghanistan
The military of Afghanistan is composed of the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Army Air Force . Being a landlocked country, Afghanistan has no navy, and the private security forces who are sometimes seen wearing military uniforms are not part of Afghanistan's military...
, he called this process National Reconciliation
National Reconciliation
National Reconciliation is the term used for establishment of so-called 'national unity' in countries beset with political problems. In Afghanistan Mohammad Najibullah's proposals for national unification started in 1987 and ended early in the 1990s to stop the Afghan civil war which had haunted...
. After the National Reconciliation talks the 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...
ratified the new constitution made by Najibullah and various resistance groups. The new constitution abolished the one-party system in the country and saw the establishment of the Meli Shura (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...
), Sena (Senate
House of Elders
Mesherano Jirga or the House of Elders, is the upper house of the bicameral National Assembly of Afghanistan, alongside the Wolesi Jirga .It has 102 members...
) and the Wolasi Jirga (House of Representatives
House of the People (Afghanistan)
The House of the People or Wolesi Jirga , abbreviated WJ, is the lower house of the bicameral National Assembly of Afghanistan, alongside the House of Elders....
) which would eventually replace the Revolutionary Council. They also agreed to remove "democratic" from the official name of Afghanistan, so since 1987-1992 the official name was the Republic of Afghanistan
Republic of Afghanistan
Republic of Afghanistan was the official state government of Mohammed Daoud Khan from 1973 to 1978. Daoud Khan became Afghanistan's first President in 1973 after he deposed Mohammad Zahir Shah in a non-violent coup...
.
Organization
The Presidium of the Revolutionary Council consisted of all Revolutionary Council office bearer and some others. The Presidium's main role in PDPA and DRA politics was to serve as a legislature of such, approving state decisions before the Revolutionary Council could ratify them. The Presidium office also watched over the Council of MinistersCouncil of Ministers (Afghanistan)
The Council of Ministers was the governmental organ in the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan and later the Republic of Afghanistan. The leader of the Council of Ministers choose ministers for the different ministeral posts in the country. Under the leadership of Nur Mohammad Taraki, Hafizullah...
. None to few Presidium members were members of the Council of Ministers, suggesting a deliberate attempt of separating power between the two governmental bodies. Not much is known about the Presidium during Taraki and Amin's rule from 1978-1979. Right after the Soviet invasion
Soviet war in Afghanistan
The Soviet war in Afghanistan was a nine-year conflict involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist-Leninist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the Afghan Mujahideen and foreign "Arab–Afghan" volunteers...
it consisted of seven members, in which four of them were Parcham
Parcham
Parcham was the name of one of the factions of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan. The Parcham faction seized power in the country after toppling Hafizullah Amin....
s and three of them Khalq
Khalq
Khalq was a faction of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan. Its historical leaders were Presidents Nur Muhammad Taraki and Hafizullah Amin. It was also the name of the leftist newspaper produced by the same movement. It was supported by the USSR and was formed in 1965 when the PDPA was born...
s.
The Presidium was the permanent ruling body of the Revolutionary Council. Members of the Presidium were elected by the Revolutionary Council. The President of the Revolutionary Council was the Chairman of the Presidium. The responsibilities of the Presidium were to enforce law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
s, granting amnesty
Amnesty
Amnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent people, without changing the laws defining the offense. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the...
or punishment
Punishment
Punishment is the authoritative imposition of something negative or unpleasant on a person or animal in response to behavior deemed wrong by an individual or group....
among others.
The Presidium of the Revolutionary Coucil (in 1984)
| President |
|---|
| Babrak Karmal Babrak Karmal Babrak Karmal was the third President of Afghanistan during the period of the communist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. He is the best known of the Marxist leadership.... |
| Vice President |
| Maj.-Gen. Gul Aqa |
| Secretary |
| Mohammad Anwar Farzan |
| Members |
| Noor Ahmad Noor Abdurrashid Aryan Anahita Ratebzad Anahita Ratebzad Anahita Ratebzad is a female Afghan Marxist and former member of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan and the Revolutionary Council.... Nejmuddin Kawyani Maj.-Gen. Naser Mohammad Dr Saleh Mohammad Zearai |