A former Afghan minister for women yesterday said the biggest challenge she faces ahead of her nomination as Afghanistan's first female governor were from the warlords and commanders of her native Bamiyan province.
"The idea to appoint me as Governor of Bamiyan has come from President Hamid Karzai. It's a huge honour, it will be a big responsibility," said Habiba Sarabi. She was speaking to Gulf News from the Afghan capital Kabul.
"It's more than 95 per cent through. I expect the announcement of my nomination in two to three days."
She admitted however that there was opposition to her nomination. "While most of the ordinary people support me, there is a lot of opposition from warlords and commanders."
There have been several demonstrations against her appointment in Bamiyan, capital of the Hazara-dominated province of the same name.
Largely controlled by the fierce Hazara warlord Mohammad Mohaqiq, a small army of several hundred armed supporters still see him as their leader.
The Hazara movement has however split down the middle with Mohaqiq parting ways with former ally and Hazara commander Karim Khalili, who was picked by Karzai as his vice-president in elections last October.
"Thankfully, I have the support of Khalili, and from the young people and the women of Bamiyan who are not as conservative as the people in the south. They are not against women holding positions of power," she said.
"This opposition and street demonstrations are managed by the smaller commanders and mujahideen groups, perhaps Mohaqiq.
"They are all against me. They know that once I come in, I will work to ensure that Bamiyan's security and safety is paramount. This will affect them."
In an interview to Gulf News several months ago, Mohaqiq had criticised Karzai's government for withholding funds to rebuild the Buddhas.
Mohaqiq quit as a minister in Karzai's first government on the same issue.
Habiba said as minister for women's affairs in the previous government she had raised the profile of women abroad and set up an avenue for women's growth.
"I intend to do the same in the province. I will improve the health and education sectors, and the life of the people, set up schools and small clinics in the remote villages."
Sarabi, who fled Afghanistan for Pakistan during the brutal Taliban regime, said with this appointment as "not just Bamiyan's first woman governor, but as Afghanistan's first woman governor, the women of Afghanistan are finally being given their rightful place".
