Provincial governor fears power vacuum in Afghanistan

An Afghan governor has lashed out at the shortcomings of his government, Reuters reported today.

“In terms of internal factors, the government cannot deliver, and this is a problem,” said Abdual Sattar Murad.

As the governor of Kapisa province, Murad warns of a “vacuum of authority” that could provide advantages for the Taliban in remote Afghan regions. Kapisa has seen a surge in Taliban attacks in recent months, leading many Afghans to doubt the government’s ability to bolster security and implement economic development policies.

“What's missing is leadership. Afghanistan [is] at this critical moment of its history, we don’t have a leadership that can unite the national leaders, which can see the needs of people and respond to them,” Murad said. He added: “In remote parts of the country there is particularly a vacuum of authority, a vacuum of power. Somebody will have to fill that vacuum. Either the criminals fill that vacuum or the Taliban and al Qaeda do.”

As instability increases in remote regions of Afghanistan, many fear the reestablishment of Taliban power, a shift that would surely undue any progress made towards a sustainable Afghanistan that values equality and human rights.

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