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Karzai Regrets Rejection of Cabinet Nominees
[Quqnoos] President Karzai expressed regret over the refusal of his 10 Cabinet nominees by Parliament on Saturday. President Hamid Karzai's office issued a brief statement saying he had chosen the nominees "based on their talents, expertise and national participation" and regretted the outcome. The Afghan lawmakers approved only seven of 17 nominees, including Karzai's longtime national security adviser Zalmay Rasoul as foreign minister. The lawmakers also confirmed a new justice minister and a woman as minister of Work and Social Affairs but rejected two other women nominees. Two weeks ago, parliament rejected 70 percent of Karzai's first Cabinet picks, forcing him to present a second list. President Karzai is trying to have a functioning Cabinet before attending the international conference on Afghanistan scheduled for Jan 28 in London. Nevertheless, the statement added that the President respects the decision of the parliament. Lawmakers complained that some of the Cabinet nominees lacked the credentials to serve. Others claimed that some nominees are closely aligned with warlords and were chosen to pay back political supporters who helped get the president re-elected. Posted by: Fred 2010-01-18 |
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