Afghanistan through the eyes of a
governor By Tanya Goudsouzian
Haji Din Mohammad, a former mujahideen fighter
from the Khales faction of the Hezb-i-Islami, became
governor of the eastern province of Nangarhar after the
assassination of his brother, Haji Abdul Qadir, in July
2002. He is also the brother of slain commander Abdul
Haq. In an exclusive interview with Radio Free
Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) in Kabul on August 27, he
talked about "Afghan-style" democracy and the need to
start rehabilitating opium farmers before they sow seeds
for the next season. Afghanistan is due to hold
presidential elections on October 9 and parliamentary
elections next April.
RFE/RL: Do
you believe democracy will work in Afghanistan?
Mohammad: It will be democracy
"Afghan style". The shape that it takes will depend on
Afghan culture, the prevailing circumstances, and the
mentality of the people. The process will be slow, and
it may not take hold 100%.
RFE/RL:
How do you gauge the voter-registration process
so far? Has the turnout in the south been satisfactory?
Mohammad: In Nangarhar, more than
41% of women and 45% of men have registered. If these
numbers are low, then it is the fault of UNAMA [the
United National Assistance Mission in Afghanistan]
because they have been slow in our area. [The UN said at
the weekend that over 9.9 million Afghans had registered
to vote in the upcoming elections.]
RFE/RL: Are people enthusiastic
about the elections?
Mohammad:
Yes, it seems the people are keen to participate. For
the presidential elections, it's simple enough, because
there are only 18 candidates. It's not so bad. But it's
going to be very difficult during the parliamentary
elections with more people running and more people
trying to show their importance. I expect there will be
pandemonium.
RFE/RL: Are warlords
impeding the electoral process?
Mohammad:
I think it is inevitable. There will be some
interference from their side, but the majority of
average Afghans want to see peace in Afghanistan. They
want to live without fighting, and they want to vote.
There will be some interference, they will try to impede
the process, especially in certain provinces, but they
will not be 100% successful.
RFE/RL:
Is Afghan transitional administration chairman
Hamid Karzai the right man for the job?
Mohammad: He has support
everywhere. For the prevailing situation, he is best
suited.
RFE/RL: What is the
situation with the neo-Taliban?
Mohammad:
There is a problem in the [southeast and] south,
mostly in Paktia, Paktika, and Kandahar [provinces].
They are trying to disrupt the peace and to make
difficulties during the elections. They have tried to
impede the voter-registration process.
RFE/RL: Do these neo-Taliban
elements have a presence in Nangarhar?
Mohammad: No, they have no
presence in Nangarhar. Yes, there have been efforts to
sabotage the peace, and the electoral work, but they are
no longer an organized group. They don't have the
capacity to take over a district or even a village. They
are not in such a position.
RFE/RL: But they were responsible
for the assassination of Ajab Khan, military commander
of Jalalabad, on June 1.
Mohammad:
No, from the investigations, it was not clear who was
responsible. All that can be said is that the
perpetrators were enemies of peace.
RFE/RL: The cultivation of opium
poppy has hit record highs since the current
administration took office, and Nangarhar is one of the
top producers. Why is nothing being done to curb the
trade?
Mohammad: The problem is
endemic in the country - not just in Nangarhar. We are
trying to solve this problem, and we are in contact with
specialized international agencies. We are pushing them
to come in and to make a rehabilitation program for us,
but until now, we have seen nothing concrete. We ask
that they devise viable policies to rehabilitate the
farmers; to find alternative crops for them to
cultivate. We hope that this year something will be done
before the cultivation begins. October is when they
start sowing the seeds, and April is when they start to
reap. The program must start before October. Now is the
time to start.
RFE/RL: So you
think the international agencies are not doing enough?
Mohammad: Some groups have come to
Jalalabad to talk to me about the problem. I tell them,
it's not enough to talk to me; they must talk to the
farmers and see what they have to say. They need to find
a way to solve the problems of the farmers. The farmers
have a lot of difficulties. They have a shortage of
water. There can find no alternative employment. We need
to solve these problems for them first. We have to find
replacement crops, give them the seeds, fertilizer, and
enough water. If these problems are solved and they
still do not stop farming the poppy, only then do we
have the moral right to enforce the law - to use the
police to stop them.
RFE/RL: But
how did the Taliban manage to significantly reduce the
cultivation of opium poppy?
Mohammad:
The Taliban managed to do so only for a year
[2001]. The cultivation of opium poppy has been going on
for decades in this country, mostly in three provinces:
Helmand [in the south], Nangarhar [in the east], and
Badakhshan [in the northwest]. But in Badakhshan and
Nimroz, the problem is compounded by the fact that they
also consume the poppies, by smoking or eating. In
Nangarhar, no one consumes the poppies; they are just
for export. Except maybe a few individuals who come from
Peshawar [Pakistan], they may smoke it.
RFE/RL: What is the state of
security in Nangarhar?
Mohammad:
Well, at one point, the kidnapping of young
children was a problem. They would abduct the children
for their kidneys or eyes, for the black-market trade of
human organs. But in recent months we have worked hard
to raise awareness across the province so that now
people here are very vigilant. If they see someone
talking to a child in a suspicious manner, they would
act. Of course, this has resulted in some rather comical
incidents ... Someone may want to affectionately tease a
child on the street and bystanders have misinterpreted
it as an attempt to abduct the child. But all in all the
campaign has been successful and such kidnappings have
been reduced.
RFE/RL: Do you plan
to run for the parliamentary elections?
Mohammad: There's some time to go
for that. Let's now prepare for the presidential
elections.
Copyright (c) 2004, RFE/RL Inc.
Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free
Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave
NW, Washington DC 20036
Sep 2, 2004
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