Taliban Deputy Minister: Democracy Will Not Return to Afghanistan
DID Press: A senior Taliban official has ruled out any possibility of a return to democracy in Afghanistan, asserting that the public does not support such a system, amid growing internal debate within the Taliban over governance and power structure.
Rahmatullah Najib, Deputy Minister of Interior of the Taliban, said on Sunday, December 14, during a graduation ceremony for police trainees in Maidan Wardak province, that “there is no ground for the return of a democratic system in Afghanistan”, adding that “no one should even dream of bringing it back.” He claimed that democracy lacks popular support among Afghans.
Najib also dismissed reports of internal divisions within the Taliban leadership, emphasizing that security responsibilities must be carried out with full coordination and discipline to prevent disruption of the ruling structure.
His remarks come as the Taliban have imposed new social, educational, and media regulations in recent years—measures that have drawn widespread international concern and renewed scrutiny of Afghanistan’s system of governance.
The statement follows controversial comments by Sirajuddin Haqqani, acting Interior Minister, who recently said that governments can only survive with public support and that rule based on fear is not legitimate—remarks widely interpreted as reflecting differing views within the Taliban.
In response, Neda Mohammad Nadim, acting Minister of Higher Education and a close ally of the Taliban leadership, stressed that unilateral actions have no place within the movement and that all members must obey the Emir. Similarly, Hibatullah Afghan, head of Taliban border police, described obedience to the Emir as a religious obligation in a post on X.
Sources indicate that internal debates largely center on power concentration, decision-making authority, and factional influence, particularly amid reports that key ministries and the presidential palace in Kabul are dominated by the Kandahar-based Taliban leadership.
Meanwhile, three major political opposition groups—the National Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan, the National Assembly for Salvation, and the National Movement for Peace and Justice—announced last week that they have reached a unified framework for cooperation. They called for intra-Afghan dialogue, a new constitution, women and youth participation, and elections, underscoring the widening divide over Afghanistan’s political future.