#WORLD NEWS DECEMBER 25, 2017 / 8:56 AM / UPDATED 4 HOURS AGO

Afghan political crisis deepens as ousted governor refuses to go

Mirwais Harooni, James Mackenzie
4 MIN READ

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s bid to oust one of the country’s most powerful provincial governors has run into strong resistance that has deepened political uncertainty just as Washington steps up its campaign against the Taliban insurgency.

Atta Mohammad Noor, governor of the strategically important northern province of Balkh, has refused to leave office, a week after Ghani’s office said the president had accepted his resignation and named a replacement.

The standoff has underlined how uncertain central government control remains outside the capital and how volatile the political situation has become as maneuvering begins ahead of a presidential election scheduled for 2019.

One of a number of powerful regional leaders who command strong local loyalty while acting semi-independently of the government, Atta Noor has long sought a role on the national stage and is a potential candidate in the 2019 election.

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