Government
The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is headed by a President (Dr Hamid Karzai) supported by two Vice Presidents, one senior minister and 27 ministers. The President, who appoints the Vice Presidents and the ministers, exercises executive power. Legislative power rests with the Supreme Court, which is a permanent institution.
Afghanistan is currently divided into 33 provinces, each of which is run by a provincial administration under the control of an appointed Governor. These provinces are: Badakhshan (provincial capital Faizabad), Badghis (provincial capital Kaleh e Nau), Baghlan (provincial capital Baghlan), Balkh (provincial capital Mazar e Sharif), Bamyan (provincial capital Bamyan), aykundi (provincial capital Nili), Farah (provincial capital Farah), Faryab (provincial capital Meymaneh), Ghazni (provincial capital Ghazni), Ghor (provincial capital Chagcharan), Helmand (provincial capital Lashkar Gah), Herat (provincial capital Herat), Jowzjan (provincial capital Sheberghan), Kabul (provincial and national capital Kabul), Kandahar (provincial capital Kandahar), Kapisa (provincial capital Mahmud Raqi), Khost (provincial capital Khost), Kunar (provincial capital Asadebad), Kunduz (provincial capital Kunduz), Laghman (provincial capital Mehtarlam), Logar (provincial capital Palalam), Nangarhar (provincial capital Jalalabad), Nimruz (provincial capital Zaranj), Nurestan (provincial capital Paroon), Paktia (provincial capital Gardez), Paktika (provincial capital Zareh Sharan), Parwan (provincial capital Charikar), Samangan (provincial capital Aibak), Sar e Pol (provincial capital Sar e Pol), Takhar (provincial capital Taloqan), Uruzgan (provincial capital Tarin Kowt), Wardak (provincial capital Maidanshahr) and Zabul (provincial capital Kalat).
To date Dr Karzai has relied on ISAF (International Security of Afghanistan Forces) to ensure security in the capital. The central government is currently training a national army drawn from all ethnic groups to ensure unity under one military banner. However, some provincial governors still exercise strict control of their regions and rarely report to Kabul, and because of this national infrastructure development projects are difficult to co-ordinate.
