A senior Taliban leader confirmed to Voice of America that the group is in the final stages of announcing a new government expected to include all current members of the Shura Council. The supreme leader of the Taliban, Hibatullah Akhundzada, is consulting in Kandahar, the movement's birthplace, alongside his deputies Sirajuddin Haqqani, head of the Haqqani Network which is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S., and Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, the son of Taliban founder Mullah Omar.
Another prominent Taliban leader, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, stated: "Currently, the Taliban leadership is in consultation with various ethnic groups and political parties within the country regarding the formation of a government that should be accepted both domestically and internationally." Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Voice of America that the process "is nearing completion."
The senior Taliban leader mentioned that the leadership tasked Vice President Sirajuddin Haqqani and another deputy, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, with finalizing the names for the cabinet. He noted that the final approval of the names will come from Akhundzada himself, indicating that the cabinet could include more than 26 members and may include individuals aside from the Shura Council members. The Shura Council is the most important decision-making body for the Taliban and is chaired by Akhundzada himself.
**Not an Inclusive Government**
While the Taliban claims that the government will be inclusive, their spokesman indicated that power-sharing is not a priority for the movement at the moment. He added: "There is no agreement with any political leader to include them in the government. I want to clarify that our focus is not on sharing the government with others." He pointed out that the movement has been seeking opinions from "known figures, scholars, and former mujahideen leaders" regarding the new governance system.
The Shura Council held its first formal meeting in Kabul at the presidential palace on August 21, co-chaired by Haqqani and Yaqoob. Since then, Shura Council members and senior officials have been holding informal meetings almost daily. The senior leader mentioned, "The Shura Council decided in principle that if the United States completes its withdrawal by August 31, the Islamic Emirate (the name the Taliban gives to Afghanistan after their takeover) will announce the cabinet." He added, "The Amir al-Mu'minin (the title of the movement's leader) believes that announcing a government in the presence of U.S. troops would raise many questions."
He confirmed that the Shura Council also suggested that the cabinet announcement should come from Akhundzada himself in a televised speech at the national level. He added: "If the Amir al-Mu'minin does not want to appear publicly, he can nominate a close friend and a senior leader to make the announcement."
**Announcement Timeline**
According to the senior official, the Shura Council deemed that the government should be announced in the first week of September, and the name of the new Taliban government should be the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, although this decision requires Akhundzada's approval. The Taliban leader stated that they intend to keep the national army intact and integrate their fighters into the institution. Decisions regarding the flag and the national constitution will be made by the new government.
During their internal consultations, the movement's members also discussed the possibility of appointing Sirajuddin Haqqani or Mullah Yaqoob as "Head of the Council of Ministers," a position equivalent to that of a prime minister. During the previous Taliban government in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, Mullah Mohammad Rabbani held this position. The Shura Council members are also considering the possibility of making Haqqani the Prime Minister and Yaqoob the Minister of Defense, as he currently heads the Taliban's military committee. Aside from government formation, the official stated that internal discussions have heavily focused on security in the capital, Kabul.
