The Battle For Legitimacy: Afghanistan's Dual Presidency

Afghanistan has been in a state of continuous internal conflict and has seen foreign interventions since 1978. The country has had a long line of leaders, from the Hotak Empire in 1709 to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, which lasted from 2004 to 2021. In 2023, two rival Afghan politicians, Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, appointed themselves president following a disputed election. Ghani was the elected president, but Abdullah rejected the result, alleging vote-rigging, and held his own inauguration ceremony.

Ashraf Ghani was Afghanistan's president until 15 August 2021

Ghani was born in Logar, Afghanistan, in 1949. He received his primary and secondary education in Afghanistan before pursuing higher education abroad. Ghani studied in Lebanon and the United States, obtaining a PhD in Cultural Anthropology from Columbia University in 1983. He then embarked on a career in academia, teaching at various institutions, including the University of California, Berkeley, and Johns Hopkins University.

In 1991, Ghani joined the World Bank as a lead anthropologist, where he gained experience in international development. Following the collapse of the Taliban government in 2001, Ghani returned to Afghanistan and served as the finance minister in Hamid Karzai's cabinet. He played a key role in the Afghan Interim Administration and worked on the design and implementation of the Bonn Agreement, which outlined the post-Taliban government of Afghanistan.

In 2009, Ghani ran for president in the Afghan presidential election but came in fourth. However, in the 2014 election, Ghani became president after a disputed election that required negotiations mediated by the United States. Ghani's presidency was marked by efforts to make peace with Taliban insurgents and improve relations with Pakistan. He also aimed to transform Afghanistan into a technocratic state and fought corruption.

On 15 August 2021, Ghani's term abruptly ended as the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. Ghani's departure from the country was sudden, and he faced criticism for not staying to prevent further violence. Ghani's successor, Hibatullah Akhundzada, the supreme leader of the Taliban, de facto became the head of state.

Ghani's main rival, Abdullah Abdullah, appointed himself president in March 2020

The dispute led to a political crisis in Afghanistan, threatening to derail the intra-Afghan peace talks with the Taliban, which were due to take place the following day. It also complicated the next steps towards peace following the signing of a deal between the United States and the Taliban.

Abdullah held a parallel inauguration as Ghani was sworn in as president. Ghani's inauguration was attended by the U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan, senior U.N. officials, and some Western diplomats, signalling the international community's validation of Ghani. However, there was no initial statement from the United States recognising Ghani as the election victor.

The two rivals eventually reached a power-sharing agreement in May 2020, under which Abdullah would lead the government's efforts to reach a peace deal with the Taliban.

The president of Afghanistan is the head of state and government and Commander-in-Chief of the Afghan Armed Forces

Hamid Karzai was the first President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, serving from 2004 to 2014. Ashraf Ghani was elected as the next Afghan president in 2014. However, Ghani's presidency was marred by allegations of fraud, with rival politician Abdullah Abdullah refusing to recognise the inauguration and holding his own swearing-in ceremony. Ghani's rule ended in 2021 when the Taliban took over Kabul and Ghani fled to the United Arab Emirates.

Since the Taliban's recapture of Kabul, the country has been known as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, with its supreme leader, Islamic scholar Hibatullah Akhundzada, succeeding Ghani as head of state.

The vice president of Afghanistan is the second-highest political position

Afghanistan's constitution designates the vice president as the second-highest political position in the country. The vice president is elected on the same ticket as the president, with presidential candidates nominating two vice-presidential candidates before the election.

The position of vice president was first created in Afghanistan in 1926 by King Amanullah Khan, who established the role of "Yawar" (later "Deputy") and appointed Mahmoud Khan Shaghasi as the "First Deputy Assistant" (later "Vice president").

In recent years, Afghanistan has had several vice presidents, including Amrullah Saleh, Abdul Rashid Dostum, and Haji Mohammad Chamkani.

Afghanistan has been in a state of continuous internal conflict since 1978

The roots of the conflict can be traced back to the overthrow of the centrist government of President Mohammad Daud Khan in 1978 by left-wing military officers led by Nur Mohammad Taraki. Taraki's government had little popular support and began implementing ruthless purges and extensive land and social reforms that were bitterly opposed by the country's religious and largely anti-communist population. This led to insurgencies among both tribal and urban groups, collectively known as the Mujahideen, who were Islamic in orientation.

The Soviet Union, which had already been increasing its influence in Afghanistan, invaded the country in December 1979 to prop up Taraki's faltering government. The Mujahideen rebellion grew in response, and the Soviets attempted to crush the insurgency by bombing and depopulating rural areas. This sparked a massive refugee crisis, with millions of Afghans fleeing to Pakistan and Iran.

The Mujahideen received foreign support from the United States, Pakistan, China, and others, and their military capabilities gradually improved. The war became a quagmire for the Soviet Union, leading to the withdrawal of Soviet troops in 1989.

Following the Soviet withdrawal, Afghanistan was left in a state of political and economic ruin, with various Mujahideen factions turning against each other and fighting for control of the country. This period was marked by intense factional fighting, widespread human rights abuses, and severe drought, resulting in further displacement and suffering for the Afghan people.

In the midst of this chaos, a new Islamic militia known as the Taliban rose to power in the mid-1990s, promising peace and a return to traditional Islamic values. The Taliban quickly seized control of most of the country, imposing strict interpretations of Islam and curtailing the rights and freedoms of women.

The Taliban's rule was met with resistance from various ethnic groups and opposition forces, leading to continued conflict and instability. The United States invaded Afghanistan in 2001 following the September 11 attacks, which were carried out by al-Qaeda, a group that had found safe haven in Taliban-controlled territory. The invasion toppled the Taliban regime but failed to bring lasting peace, as the Taliban regrouped and launched a prolonged insurgency against the Afghan government and its NATO allies.

The conflict in Afghanistan has resulted in a massive loss of life, with millions of Afghans killed, injured, or displaced over the past four decades. The country continues to face challenges in establishing a stable and unified government, and the Taliban remains a significant force, controlling large parts of the country.

Frequently asked questions