BAMYAN CITY (Pajhwok): Though the newly-appointed governor for central Bamyan province has not officially assumed office, some lawmakers and residents have been protesting against his appointment for the last two days.
The lower house members have erected tents in front of the governor’s house in Bamyan City to express their opposition to the appointment of Mohammad Zahir Tahir as the provincial governor.
The Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG) had introduced eight governors and some of them have taken charge. They include Zahir Tahir, the new governor of Bamyan.
However, some political parties and the provincial council members say they support Tahir as the governor. But lawmakers representing Bamyan in the Wolesi Jirga are against him.
The protesting MPs include Mohammad Akbari, Safura Yalkhani, Sayed Fakor Behishti, Abdur Rahman Shahidani and some residents. They have erected tents in front of the governor’s house for the last two days.
Yalkhani told reporters they wanted to build pressure on the president to take back his decision of naming Tahir Zahir as the Bamyan governor.
Her colleague Mohammad Akbari said Zahir was an emotional person and they did not want him to be the governor.
Also last week, Akbari said Zahir’s duty record had been negative in the past and people would not support him.
However, Meshrano Jirga member from Bamyan, Qais Wakili, said the protesting lawmakers feared Zahir would not allow fraud in the parliamentary elections.
“Most of these lawmakers have entered the Wolesi Jirga through fraud in elections,” he said.
Meanwhile, hundreds of residents gathered in Bamyan City in support of the new governor. One of them, Mohammad Amin Ayan, said the new governor was an educated man and had no problem. He added that the president should implement his decision as soon as possible because Bamyan was currently without a leader.
Around 800 residents of Bamayn City and those coming from districts attended the gathering, Ayan said.
Mohammad Tahir Zahir is a resident of Dara-i-Souf Bala district of Samangan province. He received his bachelor’s degree in sociology from Kateb private university.
He had served as advisor to former Second Vice-President Mohammad Karim Khalili from 2011 to 2014. Zahir was the 34th ground brigade commander in Bamyan from 2001 to 2004.
Zahir was advisor of President Ashraf Ghani during his electioneering campaign in 2014.
On Saturday last, many political parties in Bamyan announced their support for the new governor and urged the president to send him urgently to take charge.
Haidar Ali Etimadi, the head of coordination council of political parties in Bamyan, said all the previous seven governors had not been opposed like Zahir, who could not start his job due the opposition from some circles.
“It is wrong to oppose the governor before he starts work. Let him do his job and if fails in his responsibility then oppose him, he suggested. “The protest is personal opposition and is unacceptable to us,” he said.
mds/ma