Difficulties in Forming Afghan NUG

The Afghan leadership are currently in their "honeymoon phase" of their newly formed "national unity government" or NUG. But soon the riffs will develop between the Ghani and Abdullah camps over selection of individuals for cabinet ministers and other senior leadership posts. Under the previous regime (Karzai) important leadership posts were filled under the patronage system. Karzai would divide these leadership positions to a wide-range of individuals - for the most part to reward his patronage net or to ensure the support of opposition leaders and powerful regional warlords. Many times provincial and district governors paid Karzai for their positions. Under Karzai the selection of government officials and provincial governors was not based on competence, training or education but on political loyalty. President Ghani has a plan to fill important positions based on skills and competence with a reform minded agenda but he will meet resistance from Abdullah who comes from a different mindset of ethnicity, patronage and quotas. Read more in "New Afghan leaders face culture clash as they form Cabinet", The Washington Post, October 17, 2014.