Yalda Royan’s resignation
Yalda Royan, Master of Gender and Women’s Studies, was appointed on June 11, 2019, as the Head of the Department of Provincial Cohesion and Independence of the Independent Directorate of Local Governance.
Ms. Royan has recently resigned from this position. The text of Ms. Royan’s resignation is in this link:
Yalda Royan has stated the reasons for her resignation in eleven cases, the most prominent of which are ethnic and gender discrimination, harassment, work interference, the presence of non-professionals, and the destruction of personalities.
In an interview with Nimrokh, Ms. Royan highlighted several issues and also applies to documents received by Nimrokh media.
Ms. Royan tells Nimrokh that while her resignation was not accepted, a person named Mohammadullah Zawakival was appointed as the head of the Provincial Cohesion and Communication Department on Saturday, Feb 20, 2021.
Dismissal of Latifa Farahmand
Nimrokh documents show that Latifa Farahmand, the daughter of Ishaq, an employee of the Local Authorities Department in the Directorate for Follow-up and Commands of the General Director of the department and a development expert, was fired at the time of her maternity leave.
According to the documents, Ms. Latifa Farahmand, who was pregnant, was on leave until August 5, 2020, according to a cabinet decision, after the outbreak of the Coronavirus. She gave birth on July 24 at a French hospital in Kabul and gave birth to four children at the same time.
According to Article 54 of the Labor Law, women are entitled to three months of maternity leave. But on August 19, 2020, exactly 26 days after Ms. Farahmand’s delivery, someone else was introduced in her position.
Illegal employment
Documents show that on August 17, 2020, Emal Salehzai, Director General of Human Resources of the Independent Directorate of Local Governance, introduces Fazl Mohammad, in decree No,991 in charge of development expert, instead of Latifa Farahmand “until free competition”.
On December 7, 2020, according to decree No. 3280, a person named Assadullah son of Abdul Qadir was appointed as the expert of education and culture of the Department of Provincial Cohesion and Communication in the fourth post.
Asadullah was introduced to the Provincial Cohesion and Communication Department with the signature of Mohammad Nasim Wajid, Head of Employment and Accident Department.
But our documents show that Ms. Yalda Royan, Acting Director of Provincial Cohesion and Communication, sends a message to Shamim Khan Katawazi, Director General of the Independent Directorate of Local Governance, “Why don’t you consult with me as the head of this department?” This is the second employee who is introduced to me in this way. This vacancy has been announced and should be recruited from the shortlisted candidates after the exam. With all respect to you, I will not allow my current employee to lose his job because he is the head of a family. When the Independent Administrative Reform Commission introduces him, he can start his work after the employee examination. The current supervisor continues to work.
But Baha Katawazi, the secretary-general of the Independent Directorate of Local Governance, sent a message to Ms. Yalda Royan in Pashto that “Boss, the bureaucracy of Assadullah, has been done and introduced to you.”
“I told the president I did not agree,” Ms. Royan replies.
But the secretary of Mr. Katawazi, tells the head of the provincial cohesion and communications department: “Your agreement is not required, the nominee will start his work tomorrow.”
Discrimination
In an interview with Nimrokh, Yalda Royan, quoting the verdict 4365 dated 7 January 2020, says: 41 people were hired based on various applications and evaluations out of about 400 people during the presidency of Abdul Matin Beg, the former head of the Independent Directorate of Local Governance. But, these employees were fired illegally during the presidency of Shamim Khan Katawazi.
Ms. Royan also wrote in the text of her resignation that “you fired the employees of the Uzbek and Hazara ethnic groups. When I protested, your secretary threatened me.”
Ethnic discrimination; The voice of Elias Vahdat
In an audio message that was reached by Nimrokh, Elias Vahdat, an advisor to Shamim Khan Katawazi (Director General of the Independent Directorate of Local Governance), told the director of procurement in Pashto: “Bring some Hazaras to carry supplies of the department.”
This is an audio clip in Pashto. But it is the English translation: “Spend (spend money) the head of services! Transfer ten thousand Afghanis to them and hire a worker. You are the authority of the whole. Why did you hire office-to-office workers that caress? Bring some Hazara workers that shoulder the heavy loads. “What are you doing with this old white-bearded hired man with a broken back?”
Translated by: Jahan Raha
