Provincial councils and offices are not able to work together in some provinces. The constant friction between the two is at public cost as the administration grinds to a halt.
It is provincial councils versus provincial offices in most of the provinces with the two trading charges about administrative corruption and hogging power.
Killid interviewed provincial council members and local government officials in 24 provinces. A look at the situation in some.
Khost
Abdul Wali Wahedzai, the head of the Khost provincial council, accuses the local government of being corrupt, nepotistic and lazy. Wahedzai says that when he became the head of the provincial council, he tried to work in coordination with provincial offices for 10 months. “But corruption was rife. There was unlawful distribution of land; hindrance in efforts to monitor projects, local officials did not want any interference in their money dealings with contractors,” he says. According to him, plots located in Hamdikhil area that should have been distributed to families of martyred security forces were distributed instead to members of provincial offices, Members of Parliament and village heads.
Wahedzai says a 94-page report that includes complaints about the illegal ways of the Khost governor has been sent to the palace and local presidencies. “We have shared our problems with the Afghan president and await his decision.”
Mobarez Zadran, spokesperson for the Khost governor, maintains the governor’s office has good relations with the provincial council. “Most of the provincial council members are satisfied with our working; we coordinate well, but there are some individuals who are not satisfied and make problems,” he says. He insists Wahedzai’s views are his personal opinion.
Paktia
Speaking to Killid, Taj Mohammad Mangal, member of the Paktia provincial council, was critical of the provincial administration, saying it has failed to handle the situation and is full of problems. Mangal says council members are representatives of the nation and they seek to protect the rights of people, but provincial officials usurp this right for themselves. He alleges that the provincial government was yet to initiate anything that will create jobs in Paktia. The province’s budget for this fiscal (March 21, 2016 to March 20, 2017) has not been transferred from the ministries to the province. According to Mangal, the governor interferes in customs offices and has appointed a representative to elicit funds. “We have a video – the representative of the governor in Patan custom office to collect money for the governor; the governor has assigned his representative in mastofiat (finance office) too to put revenues in the governor’s pocket. The governor does not visit tribal leaders, religious authorities, members of provincial council and the people rather he is thinking only of gathering money,” Mangal insists.
He blames the governor for the fall of Janikhil district and accuses him of “looting and not paying attention to the administration.” He says that most of the provincial offices are administrated by caretakers appointed by his predecessors. He threatens there will be “demonstrations” if the president does not pay attention to the situation.
Naqib Ahmad Atal, spokesperson for the Paktia governor, was conciliatory. The governor has no problems with the provincial council that cannot be sorted out, he insists.
Baghlan
Mohammad Safdar Mohsini, provincial council head, accuses the local administration of massive corruption. He says the rights of people have been trampled, and officials are indifferent when they complain. There is no coordination between the provincial council and local government, he adds. He says he has sent documentary proof of corruption and inefficiency to the central government but nothing has come of the complaints.
Haqmal, the spokesperson for the Baghlan governor, denies a rift between the government and provincial council. Mohsini’s views are his personal opinion, he claims. He dismisses the allegation that the local administration creates problems instead of resolving people’s problems. “We have coordination with the provincial council as per the law, we invite (provincial council) to meetings. If the law does not permit, we also don’t,” Haqmal stresses.
Daikundi
Provincial council head Suhrab Ali Etemadi expresses dissatisfaction with the working of the local government. Daikundi is a “forgotten” province that needs a lot of work but no work has been done, he claims. People support the government but there is no pressure on local officials to solve public concerns, he adds.
Farah
Fareed Bakhtawar, head of the provincial council, says there is no government to speak of in the province. “We have frequently informed the central government that corruption is at a pinnacle, and the government does not exist, but no one has paid attention,” says Bakhtawar. For 14 years, local officials have been serving their own self-interest, he laments.
Governor’s spokesperson Mehri dismisses the charges of widespread corruption. He claims local administration was only recently crippled by insecurity, and the problem has been sorted out. He considers the provincial council important for the better implementation of affairs by government offices. “When Farah faced a risk of failure, the provincial council jumped in and saved the province,” he says. He hopes to continue cooperating with the council.
Ghazni
Hasanreza, provincial council head, accuses the local government of trying to set up a parallel council. The government should replace the governor, he says. Governor denies the corruption charges. The local administration works closely with the provincial council, he insists.
