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MPs to meet Karzai on Cabinet picks

MPs to meet Karzai on Cabinet picks

author avatar
6 Jun 2011 - 16:11
MPs to meet Karzai on Cabinet picks
author avatar
6 Jun 2011 - 16:11

KABUL deputy speaker said on Monday.

A day earlier, 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 parliamentary delegation would ask the president to send his nominees for the Supreme Court and independent organisations for a vote of confidence, Deputy Speaker Khalid Pakhtun told Monday’s session of the lower house.

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.

Karzai was expected to send on Saturday a list of ministers-designate and other high-ranking officials.His deputy spokesman Siamak Herawi earlier told Pajhwok Afghan News the list had been drawn up and would be dispatched to the Wolesi Jirga Secretariat.

Several members of the parliamentary team, which will meet the president later in the day, believe the meeting will have no positive outcome.

Mohammad Naeem Hamidzai Lalai, a legislator from southern Kandahar province, said the meeting would yield no result. He suggested MPs should mount pressure on Karzai to complete his Cabinet as soon as possible.

The government would not accept the demand until a special court looking into allegations of fraud in the September parliamentary election was dissolved, the delegation member believed.

Supporting his remarks, legislator from southeastern Paktia province Mirbat Khan Mangal said he was pessimistic about the meeting’s outcome. However, he said MPs should make their last-ditch effort to convince Karzai into to accepting their demand.

“If demands of the parliamentary delegation are not met, the Wolesi Jirga will take a unilateral decision on the issue and the government will be responsible for consequences,” Mangal said, without elaborating on decision.

ma/mud

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