New Karzai cabinet list omits rejected
Source: Agencies |
January 10, 2010, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
AFGHAN President Hamid Karzai submitted a list of cabinet nominees to parliament yesterday, omitting all the 17 candidates rejected by the house last week in an apparent concession to lawmakers.
By excluding all of the candidates thrown out by parliament, Karzai could smooth the way for agreement with parliamentarians, who stunned him last week by vetoing more than two-thirds of his initial list of 24 names.
However two portfolios have not been filled - water and energy, and communications - leaving open the possibility that the president could still be hoping to find berths in his cabinet for a couple of his rejected first round choices.
The palace had earlier said it could resubmit some of the rejected candidates in new portfolios. The new list contained 16 names, including Karzai's security advisor Zalmay Rasul nominated to the previously unfilled post of foreign minister.
Among those not given a new spot yesterday were former guerrilla commander Ismail Khan, whose rejection last week was the highest-profile snub to Karzai and seen as a sign that lawmakers wanted to curb the influence of former warlords.
"I request my esteemed parliamentary colleagues act responsibly in every decision they take," an official told the house before reading out the list. "Your vote of confidence or rejection is highly respected."
Lawmakers will question candidates before voting, a process that took more than a week for the original 24.
Rejection of most of Karzai's first nominees was a big political blow to Afghanistan's leader since the Taliban was toppled in late 2001.
By excluding all of the candidates thrown out by parliament, Karzai could smooth the way for agreement with parliamentarians, who stunned him last week by vetoing more than two-thirds of his initial list of 24 names.
However two portfolios have not been filled - water and energy, and communications - leaving open the possibility that the president could still be hoping to find berths in his cabinet for a couple of his rejected first round choices.
The palace had earlier said it could resubmit some of the rejected candidates in new portfolios. The new list contained 16 names, including Karzai's security advisor Zalmay Rasul nominated to the previously unfilled post of foreign minister.
Among those not given a new spot yesterday were former guerrilla commander Ismail Khan, whose rejection last week was the highest-profile snub to Karzai and seen as a sign that lawmakers wanted to curb the influence of former warlords.
"I request my esteemed parliamentary colleagues act responsibly in every decision they take," an official told the house before reading out the list. "Your vote of confidence or rejection is highly respected."
Lawmakers will question candidates before voting, a process that took more than a week for the original 24.
Rejection of most of Karzai's first nominees was a big political blow to Afghanistan's leader since the Taliban was toppled in late 2001.
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