Close aides to Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum on Tuesday said the appointment of the new governor for Faryab indicates that President Ashraf Ghani is not committed to the political agreement signed last year between Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah.
Ehsan Nairo, a spokesman for Dostum, said that based on the agreement, the appointment of governors should include views from leaders of both teams – Ghani’s and Abdullah Abdullah’s – which together comprise the government.
“The incumbent government has been formed based on a political agreement between the two teams that says the appointment of governors should happen jointly by leaders of both teams,” Nairo said.
The supporters of the National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan--Junbish-e-Milli--which is led by Dostum, held protests in Balkh on Monday. They called for the appointment of Faryab's new governor to be revoked. They argued that those who are not familiar with the geography of the province cannot effectively serve as governor.
“The Taliban will take over areas if the government continues such activities,” said a former district governor in Faryab, Nizamuddin Qaisari. “The Taliban is firm in their stance… The government should consult with leaders and should suppress the Taliban.”
Previously, a number of political parties and lawmakers blamed the government for lacking the political will to create a political consensus within the government.
“It is democracy and everyone has the right to protest. There is a need for discussions within the framework of the law so that these problems are solved,” said Shamim Khan Katawazai, head of the Independent Directorate of Local Governance.
The Presidential Palace said that all appointments are made within the law.
“All appointments are made based on the law, based on merit and within the government’s structure,” the Palace said.