Prime Minister of Afghanistan

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The Prime Minister of Afghanistan is a currently defunct post in the Afghan Government.

The position was created in 1927, and was appointed by the king, mostly as an advisor, until the end of the monarchy in 1973. During the Communist Era, the position was the head of government.

[edit] Constitutions of 1923 and 1963

The Chairman of the Council of Ministers was not headed by the Prime Minister, but the King. Only during his absence was the Premier the acting Chairman of the Council.

Until 1963, the King always appointed one of his relatives as Prime Ministers. The King also had the power to dismiss or transfer the Prime Minister.

This was changed, stating that the Head of the Afghan Government was the Prime Minister, and that the government consisted of its Ministers. It was the first time that the King did not play an important role in the Government, leaving it to an elected authority. However, it also stated that they cannot engage in any other profession during their tenure of office.

The Constitution of 1963 also granted the Prime Minister the power to summon the Electoral College in case of the death of the King. The Prime Minister only answered to the Wolesi Jirga about the General Policy of the Government, and individually for their prescribed duties.

[edit] Saur Revolution (1978-1992)

In April 1978, Mohammed Daoud Khan was killed during a communist coup that started the Saur Revolution. The Communist government revived the office of Prime Minister that year, and it remained throughout the reign of the Communist and post-Communist governments.

The President was in charge of the appointment of the Prime Minister, who in turn appointed the Council of Ministers. The Council's stated purpose was to formulate and implement domestic and foreign policies, to formulate economic development plans and state budgets, and to ensure public order.

Under the Constitution of 1987, the President was required to appoint the Prime Minister in order to form the Government. The Prime Minister had the power to dissolve the government. Several Afghan Presidents during the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan era were also appointed Prime Minister. With the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the Prime Minister was no longer in charge of the government. The General Secretary of the PDPA or the Director of the KHAD exercised greater power.

[edit] The Islamic Republic (1992-present)

After the collapse of Mohammad Najibullah's Presidency, a transitional state was created. Thus, the office of Prime Minister once again played an important role in the history of the nation.

Also, the Constitution of 1990 established that only Afghan-born citizens are eligible to hold the office, something that was not specified in the previous documents.

There was constant friction between the President and the Premier during this period. The State had collapsed and there was not an effective central Government from 1992 until 1996. Thus, the position became de facto ceremonial, with little power in what was left of the Government.

The title was abolished when the Taliban captured Kabul in 1996 and proclaimed the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The Deputy Leader of the Taliban was often known as the Prime Minister throughout its rule. With the death of Rabbani in 2001, the Taliban decided not to revive the office.

Until August 1997, the government which the Taliban had ousted, which remained in rebellion until the end of the Taliban in 2001, had a Prime Minister in the government, but the position was abolished.

The current president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai was sometimes called the prime minister by the international media during the first years of his presidency.

[edit] List of Heads of Government of Afghanistan

(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)

[edit] Kingdom of Afghanistan (1919–1973)

Name	Term start	Term end	Political Party
Vacant (19 August 1919-25 October 1927)
Sardar Shir Ahmad	25 October 1927	January 1929	Non-party
Shir Giyan	January 1929	1 November 1929	Non-party
Mohammad Hashim Khan	1 November 1929	May 1946	Non-party
Shah Mahmud Khan	May 1946	7 September 1953	Non-party
Mohammed Daoud Khan	7 September 1953	10 March 1963	Non-party
Mohammad Yusuf	10 March 1963	2 November 1965	Non-party
Mohammad Hashim Maiwandwal	2 November 1965	11 October 1967	Non-party (until 1966), Progressive Democratic Party of Afghanistan (from 1966)
Abdullah Yaqta¹	11 October 1967	1 November 1967	Non-party
Mohammad Nur Ahmad Etemadi	1 November 1967	9 June 1971	Non-party
Abdul Zahir	9 June 1971	12 December 1972	Non-party
Mohammad Musa Shafiq	12 December 1972	17 July 1973	Non-party

[edit] Daoud Republic of Afghanistan (1973–1978)

Name	Term start	Term end	Political Party
Vacant (17 July 1973-27 April 1978)

[edit] Military Dictatorship (1978)

Name	Term start	Term end	Political Party
Vacant (27 April 1978-30 April 1978)

[edit] Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (1978–1987)

Name	Term start	Term end	Political Party
Nur Muhammad Taraki	1 May 1978	27 March 1979	People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
Hafizullah Amin	27 March 1979	27 December 1979	People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
Babrak Karmal	27 December 1979	11 June 1981	People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
Sultan Ali Keshtmand	11 June 1981	26 May 1988	People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
Mohammad Hasan Sharq	26 May 1988	21 February 1989	People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
Sultan Ali Keshtmand	21 February 1989	8 May 1990	People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
Fazal Haq Khaliqyar	08 May 1990	15 April 1992	Fatherland Party
Vacant (15 April 1992-28 April 1992)

[edit] Islamic State of Afghanistan (1992–1996)

Name	Term start	Term end	Political Party
Vacant (28 April 1992-6 July 1992)
Abdul Sabur Farid Kuhestani	6 July 1992	15 August 1992	Islamic Party of Afghanistan-Gulbuddin faction
Vacant (15 August 1992-17 June 1993)
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar	17 June 1993	28 June 1994	Islamic Party of Afghanistan-Gulbuddin faction
Arsala Rahmani²	28 June 1994	1995	Islamic Union for the Freedom of Afghanistan
Ahmad Shah Ahmadzai³	1995	26 June 1996	Islamic Union for the Freedom of Afghanistan
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar	26 June 1996	27 September 1996	Islamic Party of Afghanistan-Gulbuddin faction

[edit] Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001)

Name	Term start	Term end	Political Party
Mohammad Rabbani	27 September 1996	21 April 2001	Taliban
Abdul Kabir⁴	21 April 2001	13 November 2001	Taliban

[edit] Northern Alliance of Afghanistan (1996–2001)

Name	Term start	Term end	Political Party
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar	27 September 1996	11 August 1997	Islamic Party of Afghanistan-Gulbuddin faction
Abdul Rahim Ghafoorzai	11 August 1997	21 August 1997	United Islamic and National Front for Salvation of Afghanistan
Abdul Ghafoor Rawan Farhadi	21 August 1997	13 November 2001^{[citation needed]}	United Islamic and National Front for Salvation of Afghanistan

[edit] Islamic Transitional State of Afghanistan (2001–2004)

Name	Term start	Term end	Political Party
Abdul Ghafoor Rawan Farhadi	13 November 2001	22 December 2001^{[citation needed]}	United Islamic and National Front for Salvation of Afghanistan
Vacant (22 December 2001-7 December 2004)

[edit] Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (2004–Present)

Name	Term start	Term end	Political Party
Vacant (7 December 2004-Present)

[edit] Notes

Abdullah Yaqta was prime minister in an acting capacity.
Arsala Rahmani was prime minister in an acting capacity.
Ahmad Shah Ahmadzai was prime minister in an acting capacity.
Abdul Kabir was prime minister in an acting capacity.

[edit] External links

Internet Page that has copies of several Afghan Constitutions