On Wednesday, leaders of political parties in Afghanistan criticized the Taliban’s new interim government, which consists entirely of Taliban members. The cabinet choices have caused some to question the Taliban’s earlier promises to form an “inclusive” government.
The leader of the Jamiat-e-Islami Party released a statement calling the Taliban’s cabinet unbalanced. “The announcement of the government showed that the Taliban is more monopolist and extremist in politics and power than the previous imposed leaders,” said Salahuddin Rabbani, according to TOLO News.
Atta Mohammad Noor, who leads a splinter faction of the Jamiat-e-Islami Party, also criticized the government. “The announcement of the government is against all regulations and ruling laws. This is the sign of hegemony, monopoly, and a return to the past,” he said.
TOLO spoke with Kabul residents who also expressed their displeasure with the Taliban’s cabinet. “They appointed their own figures, not ones from the people. ‘Inclusive’ means that all ethnicities living in Afghanistan take part in the government,” said Kabul resident Abdul Rashid.
For their part, the Taliban insist the new government is only temporary. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the Taliban will “try to take people from other parts of the country” for cabinet positions. He announced that the acting prime minister is Mohammad Hasan Akhund, a Taliban member since the 1990s who is on a UN sanctions list and was close to the late founder of the group, Mullah Omar.