List of Cabinet picks being finalised: Karzai

KABUL): President Hamid Karzai on Monday said a commission was working to finalise the list of remaining Cabinet nominees for a vote of confidence from parliament.

The president told a parliamentary delegation, which met him at the Presidential Palace, that the choices would be introduced once the list was finalised.

The delegation included heads of all parliamentary commissions, the speaker, deputy speaker, members of the administrative delegation and others, a statement issued from Karzai’s office said.

Earlier in the day, Speaker Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi announced a team would meet the president on the special election tribunal and introduction of cabinet nominees for a trust vote.

On Sunday, Parliament announced a 15-day delay in its summer recess to help Karzai finalise his list of cabinet choices and name new heads of independent organisations, as well as three Supreme Court judges, including the chief justice.

The delegation also discussed with Karzai issues such as the draft strategic cooperation agreement with the US and problems linked to last year’s parliamentary election.

Karzai said the strategic agreement was still under discussion with Americans and a final decision in this regard would be taken by Parliament. He said his government had sent the draft to the US.

A Loya Jirga would be convened to discuss the accord, he said, adding tribal elders from all parts of the country would attend the tradition gathering.

Karzai said cooperation among the three pillars of the state — the legislature, the executive and the judiciary — was essential for solving election-related problems.

He said it was his government’s responsibility to work in public interest and address people’s concerns on national issues.

The meeting comes amid criticism from MPs of the president’s failure to send his nominees for the Supreme Court and independent organisations to parliament for a vote of confidence.

Over the past 18 months, acting ministers have been heading the ministries of water and energy, women‘s affairs, urban development, transport and aviation, communications and information technology. They failed to obtain a vote of confidence from the MPs last year.

Although the constitutional tenure of three Supreme Court judges has ended, Karzai is yet to appoint their successors, despite several reminders from legislators.

ma/mud

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