Wolesi Jirga team meets president today

KABUL delegation is scheduled to meet President Ashraf Ghani on Wednesday on the delay in cabinet formation, but some lawmakers view such sittings ineffective.

About 12 days ago, the lower house had set the government a week-long deadline to send cabinet nominees to the assembly for a vote of confidence.

The deadline expired on Saturday last, but the government did not send any minister-designate to the house.

The assembly then decided to send a delegation to the president and the chief executive officer (CEO) to discuss with them reasons behind the delay in cabinet introduction.

After being sworn-in on Sept. 29, President Ghani and CEO Abdullah Abdullah said they would form the cabinet in 45 days, a deadline that had already passed.

The Wolesi Jirga delegation is comprised of heads of the house 18 panels and leaders of parliamentary blocs.

Two days ago, the delegation met with Abdullah, who assured the lawmakers that none from the previous cabinet would be named as minister.

Wolesi Jirga’s first deputy speaker Ahmad Osmani, who presided over today’s session, said the parliamentary delegation would meet the president in the afternoon.

He said outcome of their meetings with the president and the CEO would be shared with the assembly and the media.

Osmani said it was a demand of everyone on the government to introduce the cabinet without further delay in order the issue of acting officials could be resolved.

Over the past three months, acting ministers, governors and departmental heads have been running the affairs.

MP Mohammad Arif Rahmani from southern Ghazni province believed the meetings with the president and the CEO had no benefit.

“Unlimited differences exist between the president and the CEO over the cabinet formation. They had only agreed on two nominees so far. So the meetings have no significance,” he said.

He said previous such sittings with the president and the CEO had borne no positive results on the issue of cabinet formation.

“We have received such a response which I lack the courage to explain and you may not be able to afford hearing that.”

About MPs’ latest meeting with the president, Rahmani said: “The lawmakers just want to fulfill their own responsibility under pressure from the masses to meet the president and the CEO on the cabinet formation.”

Another MP Allah Gul Mujahid called the meetings with the two leaders as waste of time. He said a political game was underway between the president and the CEO over the cabinet and they could not exercise their powers.

“They are powerless because the national unity government was formed in the US Embassy and this political game is spearheaded by the Americans in order to divide mujahideen and other people into two rival groups.”

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