Sada-e Azadi

Kabul has a new mayor, who took over recently after the corruption conviction and removal of its former mayor.

The new head of the Kabul Municipality is Engineer Mohammad Younus Nowandish, and he has big plans to speed Kabul’s development.

While politicians around the world often like to make promises, Mayor Nowandish told Sada-e Azadi Radio in a recent interview that he prefers not to.

“I am afraid to give impractical promises to the people,” he said, noting that Afghan journalists will be quick to report any broken promises.

Even so, the new mayor does have a vision for the city and many ideas about how it can be improved.

That starts with a city that is cleaner, with more parks. In fact, Mayor Nowandish, a former Water and Power Ministry official, would like to do something big with the city’s biggest eyesore. The city already has a strategic plan for the Kabul River that would convert it from a garbage dump into a place where Kabulis can relax and have fun. A constant flow of water would enable people to take boat rides, the mayor said.

“We are certainly planning to make Kabul an example of beauty, instead of a city full of trash,” the mayor said.

Addressing the big question about city government, Mayor Nowandish agreed that some city employees seek bribes and are engaged in other forms of corruption. But he said he hopes leaders of the Municipality will set an example of honesty for other city workers.

“I told all of them within the past two or three days (since taking office) that I will act mercilessly with those who don’t change themselves,” the mayor said. For difficult cases, he added, muncipal officials will call upon Afghan intelligence and investigative agencies to discover and remove corrupt officials.

The mayor also has plans to pave more streets, voluntarily relocate poor residents from unstable mountainsides, improve parking and open up walkways off of streets.

But the mayor warned that Kabul has many challenges, and they will be difficult to deal with. He also urged Kabulis not to judge him based upon his plans, but upon his accomplishments.

“Time will prove to what extent I will be able or won’t be able to serve,” he said. “I intend and wish to be an honest servant of the people living in Kabul city and those who need to have a beautiful and prestigious city.”