List of Presidents of Afghanistan
Encyclopedia
This is a list of presidents of Afghanistan
. Afghanistan
has only intermittently been a republic
- between 1973–1992 and from 2001 onwards - at other times being governed by a variety of kings
, emir
s and (under the mujahideen
and Taliban regimes in the 1990s) Islamist rulers.
The present constitution of Afghanistan
grants the president wide powers over military and legislative affairs, with a relatively weak national parliament
. These were a subject of considerable controversy when debated by the country's loya jirga
in December 2003. However, they were seen by the interim administration and its Western backers as being essential to securing the stability of Afghanistan.
The current president Hamid Karzai
became the first ever democratically elected head of state
in Afghanistan on December 7, 2004. He has begun the process of rebuilding his nation. The National Assembly
is Afghanistan's national legislature. It is a bicameral body, composed of the House of the People
and the House of the Elders. The current legislature was elected on September 18, 2005. The members of the Supreme Court
were appointed by the president
to form the judiciary
. Together, this new system is to provide a new set of checks and balances that was unheard of in the country. Also, the system is quite new, implementation of which began only 2004, just after decades of war between different factions and warlords. The remnants of the warlords are almost non-existent. The United Nations
and other governments and organizations play a vital role in rebuilding this new democracy's political environment.
President of Afghanistan
Afghanistan has only been a republic between 1973 and 1992 and from 2001 onwards. Before 1973, it was a monarchy that was governed by a variety of kings, emirs or shahs...
. Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
has only intermittently been a republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
- between 1973–1992 and from 2001 onwards - at other times being governed by a variety of kings
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
, emir
Emir
Emir , meaning "commander", "general", or "prince"; also transliterated as Amir, Aamir or Ameer) is a title of high office, used throughout the Muslim world...
s and (under the mujahideen
Mujahideen
Mujahideen are Muslims who struggle in the path of God. The word is from the same Arabic triliteral as jihad .Mujahideen is also transliterated from Arabic as mujahedin, mujahedeen, mudžahedin, mudžahidin, mujahidīn, mujaheddīn and more.-Origin of the concept:The beginnings of Jihad are traced...
and Taliban regimes in the 1990s) Islamist rulers.
The present constitution of Afghanistan
Constitution of Afghanistan
The Constitution of Afghanistan is the supreme law of the state Afghanistan, which serves as the legal framework between the Afghan government and the Afghan citizens...
grants the president wide powers over military and legislative affairs, with a relatively weak national parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
. These were a subject of considerable controversy when debated by the country's loya jirga
Loya jirga
A loya jirga is a type of jirga regarded as "grand assembly," a phrase in the Pashto language meaning "grand council." A loya jirga is a mass meeting usually prepared for major events such as choosing a new king, adopting a constitution, or discussing important national political or emergency...
in December 2003. However, they were seen by the interim administration and its Western backers as being essential to securing the stability of Afghanistan.
The current president Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
became the first ever democratically elected head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
in Afghanistan on December 7, 2004. He has begun the process of rebuilding his nation. The National Assembly
National Assembly of Afghanistan
The National Assembly is Afghanistan's national legislature. It is a bicameral body, comprising two chambers:*Wolesi Jirga or the House of the People: the 250-member lower house.*Meshrano Jirga ) or the House of Elders: an upper house with 102 seats....
is Afghanistan's national legislature. It is a bicameral body, composed of the House of the People
House of the People (Afghanistan)
The House of the People or Wolesi Jirga , abbreviated WJ, is the lower house of the bicameral National Assembly of Afghanistan, alongside the House of Elders....
and the House of the Elders. The current legislature was elected on September 18, 2005. The members of the Supreme Court
Afghan Supreme Court
Stera Mahkama or the Afghan Supreme Court is the court of last resort in Afghanistan. It was created by the Constitution of Afghanistan, which was approved on January 4, 2004...
were appointed by the president
President of Afghanistan
Afghanistan has only been a republic between 1973 and 1992 and from 2001 onwards. Before 1973, it was a monarchy that was governed by a variety of kings, emirs or shahs...
to form the judiciary
Judiciary
The judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
. Together, this new system is to provide a new set of checks and balances that was unheard of in the country. Also, the system is quite new, implementation of which began only 2004, just after decades of war between different factions and warlords. The remnants of the warlords are almost non-existent. The United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
and other governments and organizations play a vital role in rebuilding this new democracy's political environment.
Heads of state
(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)| # | Name | Born-Died | Took office | Left office | Political Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| President of the Republic of Afghanistan Republic of Afghanistan Republic of Afghanistan was the official state government of Mohammed Daoud Khan from 1973 to 1978. Daoud Khan became Afghanistan's first President in 1973 after he deposed Mohammad Zahir Shah in a non-violent coup... |
|||||||
| 1 | Mohammed Daoud Khan Mohammed Daoud Khan Sardar Mohammed Daoud Khan or Daud Khan was Prime Minister of Afghanistan from 1953 to 1963 and later becoming the President of Afghanistan... |
1909–1978 | 17 July 1973 | 27 April 1978 | Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... (until 1976) |
||
| National Revolutionary Party | |||||||
| Chairman of the Revolutionary Council Revolutionary Council (Afghanistan) The Revolutionary Council of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan ruled the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan from 1978 until its collapse in 1992. The council was the supreme state power under the communist regime and was a carbon copy of the Supreme Soviet... of the Armed Forces of Afghanistan Military of Afghanistan The military of Afghanistan is composed of the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Army Air Force . Being a landlocked country, Afghanistan has no navy, and the private security forces who are sometimes seen wearing military uniforms are not part of Afghanistan's military... |
|||||||
| 2 | Abdul Qadir Dagarwal Abdul Qadir Dagarwal Abdul Qadir Dagarwal , a colonel, was the leader of the Afghan Air Force squadrons that attacked the Radio-TV Station during the 1978 Coup that started the Saur Revolution.... |
1944– | 27 April 1978 | 30 April 1978 | People's Democratic Party People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan The People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan was a communist party established on the 1 January 1965. While a minority, the party helped former president of Afghanistan, Mohammed Daoud Khan, to overthrow his cousin, Mohammed Zahir Shah, and established Daoud's Republic of Afghanistan... -Khalq Khalq Khalq was a faction of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan. Its historical leaders were Presidents Nur Muhammad Taraki and Hafizullah Amin. It was also the name of the leftist newspaper produced by the same movement. It was supported by the USSR and was formed in 1965 when the PDPA was born... faction |
||
| Chairmen of the Revolutionary Council Revolutionary Council (Afghanistan) The Revolutionary Council of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan ruled the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan from 1978 until its collapse in 1992. The council was the supreme state power under the communist regime and was a carbon copy of the Supreme Soviet... of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan Democratic Republic of Afghanistan The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan was a government of Afghanistan between 1978 and 1992. It was both ideologically close to and economically dependent on the Soviet Union, and was a major belligerent of the Afghan Civil War.- Saur Revolution :... |
|||||||
| 3 | Nur Muhammad Taraki Nur Muhammad Taraki Nur Muhammad Taraki was an Afghan politician and statesman during the Cold War. Taraki was born near Kabul and educated at Kabul University, after which he started his political career as a journalist... |
 |
1917–1979 | 30 April 1978 | 16 September 1979 | People's Democratic Party People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan The People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan was a communist party established on the 1 January 1965. While a minority, the party helped former president of Afghanistan, Mohammed Daoud Khan, to overthrow his cousin, Mohammed Zahir Shah, and established Daoud's Republic of Afghanistan... -Khalq Khalq Khalq was a faction of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan. Its historical leaders were Presidents Nur Muhammad Taraki and Hafizullah Amin. It was also the name of the leftist newspaper produced by the same movement. It was supported by the USSR and was formed in 1965 when the PDPA was born... faction |
|
| 4 | Hafizullah Amin Hafizullah Amin Hafizullah Amin was the second President of Afghanistan during the period of the communist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.... |
 |
1929–1979 | 16 September 1979 | 27 December 1979 | People's Democratic Party People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan The People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan was a communist party established on the 1 January 1965. While a minority, the party helped former president of Afghanistan, Mohammed Daoud Khan, to overthrow his cousin, Mohammed Zahir Shah, and established Daoud's Republic of Afghanistan... -Khalq Khalq Khalq was a faction of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan. Its historical leaders were Presidents Nur Muhammad Taraki and Hafizullah Amin. It was also the name of the leftist newspaper produced by the same movement. It was supported by the USSR and was formed in 1965 when the PDPA was born... faction |
|
| 5 | Babrak Karmal Babrak Karmal Babrak Karmal was the third President of Afghanistan during the period of the communist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. He is the best known of the Marxist leadership.... |
 |
1929–1996 | 27 December 1979 | 24 November 1986 | People's Democratic Party People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan The People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan was a communist party established on the 1 January 1965. While a minority, the party helped former president of Afghanistan, Mohammed Daoud Khan, to overthrow his cousin, Mohammed Zahir Shah, and established Daoud's Republic of Afghanistan... -Parcham Parcham Parcham was the name of one of the factions of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan. The Parcham faction seized power in the country after toppling Hafizullah Amin.... faction |
|
| 6 | Haji Mohammad Chamkani Haji Mohammad Chamkani Haji Mohammad Chamkani is a politician from Afghanistan who held the post of interim President of Afghanistan during the period of the Soviet-backed Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. Previously, he served as Vice-President under Babrak Karmal's Government.... |
1947– | 24 November 1986 | 30 September 1987 | Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
||
| 7 | Mohammad Najibullah Mohammad Najibullah Mohammad Najibullah Ahmadzai , originally merely Najibullah, was the fourth and last President of the Soviet-backed Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. He is also considered the second President of the Republic of Afghanistan.-Early years:Najibullah was born in August 1947 to the Ahmadzai... |
 |
1947–1996 | 30 September 1987 | 30 November 1987 | People's Democratic Party People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan The People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan was a communist party established on the 1 January 1965. While a minority, the party helped former president of Afghanistan, Mohammed Daoud Khan, to overthrow his cousin, Mohammed Zahir Shah, and established Daoud's Republic of Afghanistan... -Parcham Parcham Parcham was the name of one of the factions of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan. The Parcham faction seized power in the country after toppling Hafizullah Amin.... faction |
|
| Presidents of the Republic of Afghanistan Democratic Republic of Afghanistan The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan was a government of Afghanistan between 1978 and 1992. It was both ideologically close to and economically dependent on the Soviet Union, and was a major belligerent of the Afghan Civil War.- Saur Revolution :... |
|||||||
| Mohammad Najibullah Mohammad Najibullah Mohammad Najibullah Ahmadzai , originally merely Najibullah, was the fourth and last President of the Soviet-backed Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. He is also considered the second President of the Republic of Afghanistan.-Early years:Najibullah was born in August 1947 to the Ahmadzai... |
|
1947–1996 | 30 November 1987 | 16 April 1992 | People's Democratic Party People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan The People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan was a communist party established on the 1 January 1965. While a minority, the party helped former president of Afghanistan, Mohammed Daoud Khan, to overthrow his cousin, Mohammed Zahir Shah, and established Daoud's Republic of Afghanistan... -Parcham Parcham Parcham was the name of one of the factions of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan. The Parcham faction seized power in the country after toppling Hafizullah Amin.... (until 1990) |
||
| Democratic Watan Party Democratic Watan Party of Afghanistan The Democratic Watan Party of Afghanistan is a political party in Afghanistan.It emerged out of the Parcham faction of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan... |
|||||||
| 8 | Abdul Rahim Hatef Abdul Rahim Hatef Abdul Rahim Hatef is an Afghan politician. He served as Vice President during the last years of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.... |
1925– | 16 April 1992 | 28 April 1992 | Democratic Watan Party Democratic Watan Party of Afghanistan The Democratic Watan Party of Afghanistan is a political party in Afghanistan.It emerged out of the Parcham faction of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan... |
||
| Presidents of the Islamic State of Afghanistan Islamic State of Afghanistan The Islamic State of Afghanistan was the name of the state of Afghanistan after the collapse of the communist regime, the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, in 1992. In 1996, the country was renamed the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan by the Taliban, after seizing control of the majority of the... |
|||||||
| 9 | Sibghatullah Mojaddedi Sibghatullah Mojaddedi Sibghatullah Mojaddedi , served as the first President of the Islamic State of Afghanistan after the fall of the communist regime in 1992. He is also the leader of the Afghan National Liberation Front... |
1926– | 28 April 1992 | 28 June 1992 | National Liberation Front of Afghanistan | ||
| 10 | Burhanuddin Rabbani Burhanuddin Rabbani Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani was President of the Islamic State of Afghanistan from 1992 to 1996. After the Taliban government was toppled during Operation Enduring Freedom, Rabbani returned to Kabul and served as a temporary President from November to December 20, 2001, when Hamid Karzai was... |
 |
1940–2011 | 28 June 1992 | 27 September 1996 | Jamiat-e Islami Jamiat-e Islami Jamiat-e Islami , is an Islamic political party in Afghanistan along the line of the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt. Jamiat-e Islami means "Islamic society" in the Persian language and is also known as just Jamiat for short. Jamiat is the oldest Islamic political party in Afghanistan... |
|
| Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan was founded in 1996 when the Taliban began their rule of Afghanistan and ended with their fall from power in 2001... |
|||||||
| 11 | Mullah Mullah Mullah is generally used to refer to a Muslim man, educated in Islamic theology and sacred law. The title, given to some Islamic clergy, is derived from the Arabic word مَوْلَى mawlā , meaning "vicar", "master" and "guardian"... Mohammed Omar Mohammed Omar Mullah Mohammed Omar , often simply called Mullah Omar, is the leader of the Taliban movement that operates in Afghanistan. He was Afghanistan's de facto head of state from 1996 to late 2001, under the official title "Head of the Supreme Council"... |
 |
c. 1959– | 27 September 1996 | 13 November 2001 | Taliban | |
| President of the Northern Alliance of Afghanistan Northern Alliance The Afghan Northern Alliance is a military-political umbrella organization created by the Islamic State of Afghanistan in 1996.Northern Alliance may also refer to:*Northern Alliance , a Canadian white supremacist group... |
|||||||
| 12 | Burhanuddin Rabbani Burhanuddin Rabbani Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani was President of the Islamic State of Afghanistan from 1992 to 1996. After the Taliban government was toppled during Operation Enduring Freedom, Rabbani returned to Kabul and served as a temporary President from November to December 20, 2001, when Hamid Karzai was... |
|
1940–2011 | 27 September 1996 | 13 November 2001 | Jamiat-e Islami Northern Alliance Northern Alliance The Afghan Northern Alliance is a military-political umbrella organization created by the Islamic State of Afghanistan in 1996.Northern Alliance may also refer to:*Northern Alliance , a Canadian white supremacist group... |
|
| Presidents of the Islamic Transitional State of Afghanistan History of Afghanistan since 1992 This article on the History of Afghanistan since 1992 covers the time period from the fall of the Najibullah government in 1992 to the ongoing American military presence in Afghanistan.-End of Najibullah government:... |
|||||||
| 12 | Burhanuddin Rabbani Burhanuddin Rabbani Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani was President of the Islamic State of Afghanistan from 1992 to 1996. After the Taliban government was toppled during Operation Enduring Freedom, Rabbani returned to Kabul and served as a temporary President from November to December 20, 2001, when Hamid Karzai was... |
|
1940–2011 | 13 November 2001 | 22 December 2001 | Jamiat-e Islami Northern Alliance Northern Alliance The Afghan Northern Alliance is a military-political umbrella organization created by the Islamic State of Afghanistan in 1996.Northern Alliance may also refer to:*Northern Alliance , a Canadian white supremacist group... |
|
| 13 | Hamid Karzai Hamid Karzai Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001... |
 |
1957– | 22 December 2001 | 7 December 2004 | Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
|
| President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Afghanistan Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world... |
|||||||
| Hamid Karzai Hamid Karzai Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001... |
|
1957– | 7 December 2004 | Incumbent | Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
||
See also
- President of AfghanistanPresident of AfghanistanAfghanistan has only been a republic between 1973 and 1992 and from 2001 onwards. Before 1973, it was a monarchy that was governed by a variety of kings, emirs or shahs...
- List of monarchs of Afghanistan
- Prime Minister of AfghanistanPrime Minister of AfghanistanThe 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...