The President of Afghanistan is Afghanistan's head of state, head of government, and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

The current President of Afghanistan is Hamid Karzai, as of December 2004. He is the first democratically elected holder of that post.

Afghanistan has only intermittently been a republic - between 1973-1992 and from 2001 onwards - at other times being governed by a variety of kings, emirs and (under the mujahideen and Taliban regimes in the 1990s) Islamist rulers.

The present constitution of Afghanistan grants the president wide powers over military and legislative affairs, with a relatively weak national parliament. These were a subject of considerable controversy when debated by the country's loya jirga in December 2003. However, they were seen by the interim administration and its Western backers as being essential to securing the stability of Afghanistan.

Contents

1 Presidents of Afghanistan 1.1 Republic of Afghanistan (1973-1978) 1.2 Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (1978-1987) 1.3 Republic of Afghanistan (1987-1996) 1.4 Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (2004- )

Presidents of Afghanistan

Republic of Afghanistan (1973-1978)

Inaugurated	Left office
17 July 1973	27 April 1978	Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan

Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (1978-1987)

(as Presidents of the Revolutionary Council):

Inaugurated	Left office
30 April 1978	16 September 1979	Nur Mohammad Taraki
16 September 1979	27 December 1979	Hafizullah Amin
27 December 1979	24 November 1986	Babrak Karmal
24 November 1986	30 September 1987	Haji Mohammad Chamkani
30 September 1987	30 November 1987	Mohammad Najibullah

Republic of Afghanistan (1987-1996)

Inaugurated	Left office
30 November 1987	16 April 1992	Mohammad Najibullah
16 April 1992	28 April 1992	Abdul Rahim Hatef (acting)
28 April 1992	28 June 1992	Sibghatullah Mojadedi (acting)
28 June 1992	27 September 1996	Burhanuddin Rabbani

After the Taliban was deposed in 2001 Rabbani proclaimed himself as President from November 13 to December 22

Hamid Karzi became interim administrator of the provisional government from December 22 to December 7, 2004

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (2004- )

Inaugurated	Left office
7 December 2004		Hamid Karzai