Reflections on a newly elected Nahr-E-Saraj District Community Coucil

While I was away, the District Community Council elections took place in Nahr-e-Saraj.  Read the guest blog from our ‘man on the ground’, Jim Haggerty.

At first glance it might appear to be business as usual for the residents of Malgir following the District Community Council elections in Nahr-e-Saraj District.

Seven incumbent Councillors re-elected to represent their communities along with a new Councillor elected to represent communities in the Charcutsa area of Malgir, filling the vacancy left two years earlier with the murder of his predecessor.

So what has changed since the elections took place in Gereshk two weeks ago?

Definitely no signs of Councillors resting on their laurels sitting in Gereshk secure in their appointments for the next three years. A re-energised group of DCC Members undertook a relentless trail of activity across this rural area which little more than a year ago was one of the most dangerous places in the District, mostly off-limits and posing real risk to life for those brave enough to travel into their constituencies.

During the last ten days alone Councillors visited community shuras in their home villages, supported Afghan National Security Forces to provide local security through meetings with Afghan National Police Commanders, local National Directorate of Security officials, the Afghan National Army as well as British Forces and importantly visited and guided the nascent Afghan Local Police in the more distant rural kalays.

If that was not enough this tight band of Councillors also planned small community projects for delivery across Malgir, accompanied the District Governor on two visits into the area to help him better understand how improving security is changing the lives of ordinary rural people.

If that was not enough the DCC Members then assembled at short notice to meet Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Kabul in CF NES(S) Headquarters before accompanying him to the Precinct Police Headquarters to review Afghan Local Police in training followed by lunch with HMA and the District Governor.

What next?

Internal elections for DCC appointments sometime in the next two weeks will determine who will Chair the DCC and hold influential appointments. Even within the relatively cohesive group of Malgir DCC Members there is a degree of internal jockeying for the prestigious Chairman’s appointment but hopefully business as usual and a continued opportunity to support the growth of local governance that sees the Malgir DCC Members themselves extend good practice and community engagements into other parts of Nahr-e-Saraj District.