What to make of the Taliban’s ‘exclusive’ caretaker government

Women, the Hazara minority and all political opposition have been excluded from the Taliban’s new administration.

The Taliban, further widening the gap between its rhetoric and actions, announced a Taliban-exclusive “caretaker” government on September 7. No woman from any ethnic group or political fraction has been given a post in the new administration. The formation is also ethnocentric, with Pashtuns making up more than 90 percent of the cabinet. The announced setup has left the Hazara minority – Afghanistan’s third largest ethnic group – without any role in government. This setup will severely hinder the Taliban’s prospects of international recognition and it seems the movement is indifferent towards that outcome. The anxiety Afghan citizens have about the future has led to protests across Kabul. The Taliban used the absence of a formal government as an excuse to be evasive when asked about difficult issues such as the national flag, extrajudicial killings and women’s rights. Though a smart strategy meant to buy the movement more time with the international community, it further deteriorated the little trust the urban population had in its ability to address the pressing problems facing the country. With the announcement of a caretaker government, however, the Taliban does not even have that excuse to hide behind, anymore. Though the Taliban labelled the current government as a “caretaker” in order to avoid international scrutiny over its lack of inclusivity, it is highly unlikely that the top brass of the Taliban leadership to whom these positions have been offered would cede them to anyone else in the near future.