Afghan Biographies

Prince Nadir Naim


Name Prince Nadir Naim
Ethnic backgr. Pashtun
Date of birth 1965
Function/Grade Presidential Candidate 2014 Election
History and Biodata

2. Previous Functions:
King Zaher Shah´s Private Secretary (2003)
Presidential Candidate 2014 Election
3. Biodata:
Naim NadirNadir Naeem Nader Naeem was born 1965 and is the son of the late king's daughter Princess Mariam. He is Afghanistan's first president's Mohammed Daoud Khan nephew, and former king's grandson. Prince Nadir launched the "Voice of the People" movement at a People's Jirga (traditional assembly of tribal elders) March 2013, following four years of "informal" consultations with the Afghan people. Nadir, returned to Afghanistan as his grandfather's private secretary in 2003 - after more than 20 years in exile in the UK.

Sources close to the royal family say he has come a long way, morphing from a shy young man with rudimentary Dari and Pashtu, into a polished politician with stellar communication skills and the poise of a traditional aristocratic Afghan leader. He could not speak Pashtu at all as it was a tradition in the Royal familiy to speak Dari only to play down the Pashtun rule over the other ethnic minorities.

Critics deride him and his family as out-of-touch with the realities of everyday Afghans and accuse them of seeking to reclaim their former wealth and status. Prince Nadir's family background may help him in certain quarters, albeit mainly among ethnic Pashtuns, but elsewhere, he will be seen as an inexperienced candidate who spent most of his life abroad in exile. It is also the same political support base enjoyed by the late Zahir Shah - a base which is now also largely divided between the Karzais and Rassoul.

Prince Nadir is not the first royal to have entered the political fray in post-Taliban Afghanistan. In the 2004 presidential contest, his great uncle, Homayoun Shah Assefi, threw his hat in the ring, and despite some positive media coverage, did not succeed.

On October 6, Prince Nadir announced his candidacy for the 2014 Afghan presidential elections. He nominated as his First vice president, Faiz Mohammad Daqiq and Second vice president, Qadam Ali Khadim. However he and his running mates were among the 16 Candidates who had been eliminated by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on 20131022.

Sardar Mohammad Nadir Naeem is expected to withdraw from the upcoming elections in the favour of Dr. Zalmai Rasoul.(20140326)
 

He speaks Dari, Pashtu and English.

 

Last Modified 2014-03-26
Established 2013-11-25