Habib Mangal

Habib Mangal is an Afghan citizen who was a candidate in Afghanistan's 2009 Presidential elections.

During the 2009 Presidential elections he stood 10th in a field of 38. He gained 7,339 votes.

When the DPPA's administration of Afghanistan fell in 1992 he traveled to the Netherlands, where he remained until 2009. According to his Pajhwok Afghan News profile, he was active in the Afghan expatriate community in the Netherlands.

From 1980 to 1986 Mangal held senior diplomatic posts. In 1986 he participated in a Constitutional Loya Jirga as a representative of Paktia. From 1987 to 1991 he represented Paktia in the Wolesi Jirga, the upper house of Afghanistan's National Legislature.

According to his Pajhwok Afghan News profile, he was Afghanistan's ambassador to the Soviet Union and non-resident ambassador to Finland, Romania and Cyprus, from 1980 to 1986. The administration of Dr. Najibullah he served had asked for military aid, to fight internal opposition, from the Soviet Union in 1979, and has been described as puppet government.

In 1977 and 1978 he worked as a doctor in Khost Hospital. He was subsequently the Public Health Director in Samangan Province.

He joined the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) in 1964, when he was 18 years old. According to his profile in the Pajhwok Afghan News he worked as an activist for the party from 1964 to 1981. He helped found the Students' Movement at Kabul University in 1972 and 1973. He was imprisoned for his student union activities. He was imprisoned again in 1977-1978. The Pajhwok Afghan News profile attributed this second imprisonment to "political reasons", and to "intra-party differences". In 1979 he became a member of the PDPA's Central Committee.