The Afghan Taliban Provisional Government, which has been "half-covered by the pipa," unveiled its veil.
On September 7, local time, the Taliban announced the list of interim government officials. To some's disappointment, the list of officials did not include the expected women and other non-Taliban members.
The Taliban's supreme leader, Akhonzada, will lead the country as "emir", with Mohammed Hassan as acting prime minister and Baradal as acting deputy prime minister.
Zhu Yongbiao, director of the Afghanistan Studies Center at Lanzhou University, said in an interview with the Beijing News that the list of officials of the Taliban provisional government is the result of compromise between different factions within the country, and the current list of officials does not reflect inclusiveness towards women and ethnic minorities.
The list of officials is the result of mutual compromise within the Taliban
According to CCTV news, Mujahid told reporters on the 7th that Taliban supreme leader Akhonzada will lead the country as an "emir".
At the press conference, the Afghan Taliban also announced the formation of an interim government and announced to the outside world the list of interim government officials of the "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan".
Partial list of Afghan Taliban interim government officials. Beijing News Photo/Chen Dong
According to the British Reuters agency, the top Taliban leader Akhonzada issued a written statement saying that the Taliban promised to abide by all international laws, treaties and commitments that do not conflict with Sharia law.
In his statement, Ahonzada said, "In the future, all management and living affairs in Afghanistan will be regulated by Sharia law. In a statement, he also congratulated the Afghans on their liberation from foreign domination.
The BBC reported that Akhonzada never made an official public appearance. The statement was the first time he had spoken out since the Taliban returned to Kabul on August 15.
Zhu Yongbiao said that "emir" is an honorific title used by Islamic countries, which is equivalent to the meaning of ruler and leader. Akhonzada is the supreme leader of the Afghan Taliban and has the final say on the political, religious and military affairs of the Taliban. After the Taliban formed a government, it was expected that the government would handle specific matters, and Akhonzada would hold the highest power.
"Akhonzada's whereabouts are low-key and mysterious, and there are even rumors that he has died, and some time ago two blurry photos of him came out, making it difficult to distinguish the specific shooting time and location." Zhu Yongbiao introduced.
Baradal did not serve as head of the interim government, but as acting deputy prime minister, to the surprise of some. Previously, it was predicted that Baradal would become the head of the Taliban interim government.
Zhu Yongbiao believes that the list of temporary government officials of the Taliban is basically in line with expectations, and there are competitions and differences within the Taliban, and this list is the result of internal coordination and mutual compromise. In fact, there has been speculation from the outside world that Baradal will not become the head of government. Mohammed Hassan's appointment as acting prime minister is likely the result of a compromise between different factions within the Taliban. Zhu Yongbiao said.
The Taliban may prioritize internal stabilization and do not attach great importance to international pressure
Acting Prime Minister Mohammed Hassan was a close comrade-in-arms of the late Taliban leader Omar, who served as foreign minister and governor of Kandahar province during the Taliban regime from 1996 to 2001, CCTV news.
Reuters reported that much of Mohammed Hassan's popularity came from close ties with the late Taliban leader Omar. Mohammed Hassan has long served as head of the Taliban's decision-making body, the Rehbari Shura.
Mohammed Hassan was sanctioned by the United Nations for his role in the Taliban regime from 1996 to 2001. A U.N. sanctions report said he had been Omar's "close aide and political adviser" and one of the Taliban's most capable commanders.
On September 3, 2021, local time, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Taliban armed personnel patrolled at a checkpoint. /IC photo
Asfandiar Mill, an analyst at the U.S. Institute for Peace, said Muhammad Hassan did not appear to be a religious scholar, "he seemed more like a political figure, and he came to power mainly because he had previously held very high positions." ”
The BBC's analysis argues that Muhammad Hassan has religious influence within the Taliban and that his appointment was seen as a compromise. It has been reported that some moderates within the Taliban have been at odds with hardliners.
Zhu Yongbiao said that within the Taliban, Mohammed Hassan does not seem to belong to any faction, but is more like a close confidant of supreme leader Akhnzada, and his appointment as acting prime minister is acceptable to different factions.
In addition, the news that Sirajuddin Haqqani is acting minister of the interior has sparked controversy. According to the BBC, Siraddin Haqqani is the leader of the radical group Haqqani Network and is wanted by the US FBI.
The Haqqani Network is a terrorist organization designated by the United States and maintains close ties to al-Qaida. The Haqqani Network was responsible for multiple past attacks in Afghanistan, including the 2017 Kabul car bomb blast that killed more than 150 people.
Zhu Yongbiao said that Afghanistan's interior minister is a very important position, and the Taliban's choice of Sirajuddin Haqqani as minister of the interior shows that the Taliban do not attach much importance to the pressure of the international community, and the Taliban may now give priority to stabilizing the interior and establishing power. "Haqqani is a gun in his hands and is powerful, so the Taliban are bound to give him an important position, and the pressure of the international community has an impact on the Taliban, but it is not decisive."
In addition, Muhammad Jacob, acting minister of defence, was the son of the founder of the Taliban and the late Supreme Leader Omar. He first made his debut in 2015, when after his father's death, he released an audio call for unity within the Taliban.
The list of officials does not reflect inclusiveness towards women and minorities
The Associated Press, the BBC, the British "Guardian" and other media believe that the temporary government officials announced by the Taliban are all men, all of whom are high-level figures of the Taliban, contrary to the Taliban's previous commitment to form an inclusive government.
The BBC's analytical article said the list of officials expressed the Taliban's view that the Taliban's victory meant Taliban rule. The Taliban formed an interim government that was reluctant to include former politicians and officials, and women did not have the opportunity to serve as ministers.
Asked why no women were given the job, a senior Taliban member told the BBC that the list of members of the government's cabinet had not yet been finalized.
On September 4, 2021, local time, in Kabul, Afghanistan, the daily life of the local people after the Taliban took control of Kabul. /IC photo
Zhu Yongbiao believes that the list of officials of the Taliban provisional government does not reflect inclusiveness for women and ethnic minorities. "Although some of the officials in the interim government are ethnic minorities, they have long been elders of the Taliban, which is not a sign of inclusiveness." Zhu Yongbiao said it remains to be seen whether the next larger appointment of government officials will include women and ethnic minorities.
In addition, Zhu Yongbiao believes that the Taliban and the outside world may have different understandings or interpretations of inclusiveness. "The outside world may think that the government cabinet needs to be inclusive; the Taliban may think that it is also possible to include former politicians on the governing or consultative committees."
It was previously reported that former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, former Chairman of the High Level Committee for National Reconciliation Abdullah, and Afghan Islamic Party leader and former Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hikmatiyar will join a 12-member committee newly formed by the Taliban.
Zhu Yongbiao believes that the international community will continue to pay attention to the formation of a government by the Taliban. Whether the Taliban abides by the commitments of an inclusive government and how they treat women will affect whether the international community recognizes the Taliban and whether it continues to provide economic assistance to Afghanistan. "Pressure from the international community, as well as pressure from the domestic public to protest, may make the Taliban more inclusive in the subsequent formation of the government." He said.
According to CCTV news, on September 7, local time, US White House spokesman Psaki was asked when the Biden administration recognized the Taliban during a conversation with reporters. Psaki said the United States was "not in a hurry" to recognize the Taliban as the official Afghan government. She also stressed that recognition would depend on the "actions" taken by the Taliban.
On September 8, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that we respect Afghanistan's sovereign independence and territorial integrity, do not interfere in Afghanistan's internal affairs, support the Afghan people in independently choosing a development path that suits their national conditions, and hope that Afghanistan can build a broad and inclusive political structure, pursue a moderate and steady domestic and foreign policy, resolutely crack down on all kinds of terrorist forces, and live in friendly relations with all countries, especially neighboring countries.
Beijing News trainee reporter Chen Yikai
Edited by Zhang Lei, Proofread by Li Shihui