Newly-appointed female Afghan mayor barred from taking office

AVA- Zarifa Ghafari was appointed as the mayor of Maidan Shahr city nearly five months ago and was due to assume office during a ceremony on Saturday.
However, Ghafari has reportedly been barred from assuming office as the newly-appointed mayor due to the intervention of influential figures.
Ghafari has said she has been residing in Kabul for the past five months and has not been able to assume charge of Maidan Shahr municipality so far.
She was appointed as the mayor of Maidan Shahr based on a presidential decree and her appointment was confirmed by the provincial government as per decree.
According to Ghafari, she has been barred from assuming the office due to the interventions of haji Ghulam Mohammad who is the brother of Haji Mohammad Musa, president Ghani’s aide.
Haji Ghulam has confirmed his intervention and claims that Ghafari has been elected as the mayor by committing forgery.
This comes as efforts are underway to increase the role of women in the government leadership and the country’s first female mayor was appointed for Neli city of Daikundi province few months back.