Local Governance in Afghanistan: A View from the Ground

Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit
2011
draws attention to an emerging dynamic where boundaries between civil society organisations and
fringe political groups are becoming blurred. 102
The evidence presented suggests that political parties are playing an increasing significant role
in Afghan politics. They have become more organised. Agendas have been articulated in party
manifestos and party offices have sprung up in the unlikeliest of places. 103 Nevertheless, there remains
a persistent tension between nationally-organised parties and the control exercised by commanders
and khans. In more stable environments, such as Samangan and Jawzjan, this was reflected in bribery
and coercion by these powerholders to achieve desired electoral ends. However, in areas that were
more isolated or under the control of independent armed groups, this has resulted in the creation
of personal fiefdoms and parallel institutions to replace state functions, as was observed in the west
and southwest of Day Kundi.
In Day Kundi, a number of ex-commanders and warlords have joined political parties and gained
election to the provincial council, offering them a way to formalise their power and co-opt weak
government structures. For political parties, attaching themselves to such informal but significant
powerholders likewise provides a means to gain political power and financial resources. In Laghman,
heads of certain provincial and district line departments had close links with the moderate wing of
HIA, 104 while others were associated with the nationalist group Afghan Millat. Party priorities led
members of line ministries under HIA influence to actively undermine the then wali, who was alleged
to be using his position to benefit from land deals. This tension was considerably resolved with
the appointment of a new wali. In Wardak, party influence over government institutions has been
coloured by the ethnic split between Pashtun districts and the two Hazara districts in the west. In the
Pashtun districts there were HIA commanders engaged in anti-government activity with loose links
with the local Taliban. 105 Even in relatively peaceful Samangan, Jamiat and Junbesh commanders in
Dara-i-Suf Poyeen District exercised influence and control over government activities and refused to
be disarmed.
6.5 Non-state realm
Civil society organisations (CSOs) have become increasingly relevant in the years since 2001. Donor
support to CSOs has led to their expansion in the large urban centres. However, few were active in
the provinces of this study. The anthropologist Thomas Barfield’s reference to the notion of a “civic
space” is a more useful starting point to understanding the nature of civic engagement in Afghanistan
since it incorporates the wealth of historical, cultural and spiritual traditions that form the basis
for people’s actions and their engagement with society. 106 Moreover, a more pragmatic approach to
understanding the relationship between the state and civil society in Muslim cultures is emerging,
which avoids seeing it as a phenomenon embedded in a given history or context. 107 The role of the
ulema in particular becomes extremely significant when seen through these perspectives and is a
subject for further research.
102 Anna Larson, “Afghanistan’s New Democratic Parties: A Means to Democratisation” (Kabul: Afghanistan Research and
Evaluation Unit, 2009).
103 Afghan Millat, a Pashtun nationalist party led by Anwar-ul-Haq Ahady (the current Minister of Transportation and
Industries), and Jamiat-i-Islami have been particularly enterprising in this regard. In 2009, Afghan Millat set up a party office
in Nili, the provincial capital of Day Kundi.
104 The moderate and militant wings of Hizb-i-Islami Afghanistan are Hizb-i-Islami Arghandiwal (led by Abdul Hadi
Arghandiwal, current Minister of Economy) and Hizb-i-Islami Gulbuddin (led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar), respectively. Despite
periodic internal tensions, both the moderate and militant wings of HIA are under the influence of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.
105 Reported by a representative of Harakat-i-Inquilab-i-Islami Milli Afghanistan, a smaller moderate-traditional political
party that enjoys significant support in Wardak. It is led by Ahmad Nabi Mohammadi, son of former vice president and
prominent jihadi commander Mohammad Nabi Mohammadi. Haji Musa Hotak, a member of the 2005 Wolesi Jirga, was until
recently a member of the party. He has had links with the Taliban and is now a member of the High Peace Council.
106 “Bringing More Effective Governance to Afghanistan,” 52.
107 Kaja Borchgrevink, “Religious Actors and Civil Society in Post-2001 Afghanistan” (Oslo: International Peace Research
Institute, 2007), 18.
Local Governance in Afghanistan: A View from the Ground
49