January 19th, 2010
Afghan parliament members reacted angrily Tuesday after President Hamid Karzai gave Cabinet posts to ministers they had rejected days earlier.
Parliament approved seven of Karzai's 17 Cabinet nominees Saturday, leaving 10 posts vacant. On Tuesday, Karzai made some of the 10 rejected nominees acting ministers or assistant ministers in the Cabinet.
It provoked strong reaction from government officials. "That decision of the president is disrespect for the people of Afghanistan and for the representative of the people [parliament]," Mirwise Yasini, first secretary to the parliament, told Azadi Radio.
Yasini said the decision also disrespected both Afghan laws and parliament members, who had rejected most of those nominated Tuesday.
"It would be better if the president would select some eligible people from the ministries as acting ministers," Yasini said.
The nominees' rejection did not bode well for Karzai, under both international and domestic pressure to stamp out widespread corruption and establish legitimacy for his administration, tainted by allegations of vote fraud last August.
Parliament members have complained that Karzai's nominees are either corrupt or linked to warlords.
"Without any doubt, it is a crash between the government and [parliament], and [I] hope it won't go deep," political analyst Nassrullah Stanakzai said of Tuesday's developments.
The next vote on Cabinet nominees is scheduled for next month, when Parliament members return from vaccation.
Reference: Afghanistan Crossroads CNN.
What a joker! You would think President Karzi was taking acting lessons! What do you expect President Karzi, the Afghan people feel you are a corrupt leader and that your government is also corrupt. You actually think they'll approve of your appointing more corrupt individuals to your government?
ReplyDeleteOnly a dictator tells his governmental officials take it my way or I'll put them into office myself. This is the CIA handpicked leader, backed by the guns and weapons of the US military, what do you expect? The moment America pulls their troops out of Afghanistan, Karzi is either flying to permanent exile or drug thru the streets of the capitol by his own people.
A. Smith, Oregon
Kharzi continues to put his personal interest above the needs of his country. When will we put pressure on him to step down. ??????????
ReplyDeletewm littlepage
Karzai is disgusting, and so is the U.S. government if it allows him to get away with this. Karzai should not receive a single dollar in aid from anyone until his cabinet choices are approved by his parliament. I read a couple months ago that the U.S. was going to give aid only to those branches of government that are no corrupt. This is a good idea and should be applied to any branch who's head has not been approved by the Afganistan parliament.
ReplyDeletePat...
I don't think it is fair to make quick judgements about Karzai's nominations for the cabinet. It is easy to get carried away with news coming out of Afghnistan if you are sitting thousands of miles away not knowing the exact context and political situation in the country. You should at least understand that Karzai (or anyone else for that matter) is in a very tough situation. From one hand the Afghan people and the entire international community expect him to deliver quick results in terms of security, jobs, human rights, basic services, etc. and on the other hand they don't give you the means and authority to deliver those same things. In the first round 17 out 26 ministers were rejected, in the 2nd round 10 out 17 nominees were rejected leaving Karzai's govt. paralyzed for months after its election. It is not Karzai that is corrupt but the very parlaiment that has broken down into several political groups each following their pitty self-interest agendas, backstabing, etc. If you look carefully, you will find that in both rounds the strong and capable technocrats who could bring positive changes were rejected because they had no political affiliations but those who had sided and treated one group or another in the parlaiment were selected regardless of their capabilities. Simplly put, the whole thing was shameful and non-objective process by self-interest groups whihc makes the parlaiment.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
He is having the same problem there that we are having here... They want all are nothing like the Republicans want here!!! How does anyone expect to have anything happen if neither side will give in??? Some one had to make the call.. It's the President in This Country... If it's wrong... He takes the blame not the Congress are Senate!!!
ReplyDeleteLarry