Who runs local government in Afghanistan?
Since August 2021 Afghanistan has been run by the Taliban, whom the UN calls the 'de facto authorities'. There are no elected bodies at any level: the Taliban leader and his government appoint provincial governors, district governors and city mayors, all of them men. Day-to-day local order also depends heavily on unelected religious scholars (ulama) and councils of elders (shuras and jirgas).
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (UN-recognised name); the de facto Taliban authorities call it the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan · Unitary state under de facto Taliban rule since August 2021; no constitution in force · Central Asia
The levels of government below the nation
| Level | How it is chosen | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Provinces (34) | De facto provincial governor and deputy governor appointed by the Taliban leadership | Run security, line departments and enforcement of de facto decrees; the 2004 Constitution's elected provincial councils no longer operate. |
| Districts (about 400) | De facto district governor appointed from above | Lowest tier of state administration; works with local elders and religious figures. |
| Municipalities (provincial capitals and Kabul) | De facto mayor appointed by the authorities | Urban services, markets, licences; no elected municipal council. |
Three questions about local power in Afghanistan
Are local leaders elected?
No one is elected. Governors, district governors and mayors are appointed by the Taliban leadership; elders and ulama hold their place through age, lineage, religious learning or Taliban selection.
Which laws set up local government?
The 2004 Constitution (which provided for elected provincial, district, village and municipal councils) is not applied. Power works through decrees of the Taliban leader and through custom; shuras and jirgas are informal but widely obeyed.
Who are local leaders accountable to?
Local officials answer upward to the Taliban leader and his ministries, who can move or dismiss them at will. There are no voters, independent courts or legislature to check them. Elders face community pressure, and the ulama councils report to the leader.
Traditional and customary authority
Customary authority is very strong. Councils of elders, called shuras or jirgas (local assemblies of respected men), have long settled land, water, family and blood disputes, especially in rural Pashtun areas where these practices are known as Pashtunwali. Under the Taliban, religious scholars (ulama) and elders are drawn into government: the UN reported in 2023 that provincial ulama councils of clerics and tribal elders had been set up in all 34 provinces, meant to hear local grievances but reporting directly to the Taliban leader. These bodies have no basis in the 2004 Constitution; they operate through Taliban decrees and custom, and women are excluded from them.
Community and neighbourhood power
Under the former Republic, elected village Community Development Councils (set up through the national Citizens' Charter and earlier National Solidarity programmes) planned small projects with donor money, and the 2004 Constitution promised elected district and village councils. Those district and village council elections were never held. Since 2021 the status of the community councils is unclear: reporting indicates many were dissolved or brought under Taliban control, and aid agencies now negotiate projects with de facto officials and elders instead.
Points to know
- The UN Secretary-General's February 2026 report counted, in one three-month period, new appointments of 5 provincial governors, 32 district governors and 3 mayors of provincial capitals, all men.
- The 2004 Constitution still appears in law collections, but it describes a system (elected provincial councils, elected mayors) that no longer exists in practice.
- Jirgas are sometimes convened at national level too, showing how customary forms can be used to give decisions legitimacy.
- Women are excluded from public office and from most public decision-making forums, so local power is entirely male.
Local terms
- Jirga / shura
- An assembly or council of elders that meets to settle disputes or make community decisions by consensus.
- Ulama
- Islamic religious scholars; under Taliban rule they sit on provincial councils and advise officials.
- De facto authorities
- The UN's term for the Taliban government, which holds power but is not internationally recognised.
Sources
- Report of the Secretary-General: The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security (A/80/658–S/2026/99), 27 February 2026, United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), checked 14 October 2026
- Afghanistan's Constitution of 2004 (not applied since 2021), Constitute Project, checked 14 October 2026
- Afghanistan: local government profile, UN Women (Women in Local Government country profiles), checked 14 October 2026
See also: Afghanistan's official statistics and leaders · the 10 levels of power.