Kabul, December 07: Afghan President Hamid Karzai, facing massive Western pressure to clamp down on corruption, will submit at least part of his long-awaited cabinet to parliament for approval today, an official said.
Re-elected for a second term in an August election marred by fraud, the 51-year-old head of state is under huge domestic and foreign pressure to form a transparent government to help end an eight-year Taliban insurgency.
“The president intends to introduce a number of his new cabinet members to parliament tomorrow, tomorrow,” Siamak Herawi, a Karzai spokesman, said to a news agency.
Asked how many of the new cabinet members would be submitted, the spokesman added: “Most likely a good number of them, most of them.”
Parliament must pass a vote of confidence before the new Afghan cabinet can start work and analysts hope that the new line-up can finally crack on with the business of government after months of political paralysis.
Lawmakers have delayed the start of their winter recess, but one MP expressed doubt that the 241-member house could expedite approval of the new cabinet.
“Tomorrow it’s very unlikely to happen because it’s not on the agenda. The heads of (parliamentary) committees will discuss it at their meeting this afternoon and come up with a final decision,” Shukria Barakzai said to a news agency.
After the meeting, one lawmaker said to a news agency on the condition of anonymity that the palace had postponed the unveiling of the cabinet from tomorrow until Saturday, but officials at the president’s office were unable to confirm this.
The presidential palace said it would be up to parliament when to debate the cabinet and pass a vote of confidence in each new minister.
“We’ll send the list tomorrow than it would be up to the parliament to decide on when they want to debate it,” Herawai said to a news agency.
Washington has warned Karzai to fight corruption or see his cabinet bypassed in favour of lower level officials to provide services to Afghans as part of a sweeping new war strategy that includes more than 30,000 extra troops.
Karzai faces a challenge in satisfying those who supported him in the elections with government jobs and keeping his Western allies happy.
Spiralling insecurity, drugs trade, corruption, crime and alliances with warlords accused of rights abuses have triggered mounting criticism of his administration, dismaying Western capitals and the Afghan public.
–PTI