Afghan MPs reject Karzai cabinet nominees

KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai suffered a new blow to his authority when parliament rejected most of his nominees for a new cabinet, including the only woman and a warlord. Only seven out of 24 nominees were approved by more than 200 lawmakers in a secret ballot Saturday, throwing Afghanistan into new political uncertainty just weeks ahead of an international conference on the war-ravaged nation. "Of the 24 nominees introduced to parliament, seven have succeeded in getting your vote of confidence," parliamentary speaker Mohammad Yunus Qanoni said after counting ended. Karzai's cabinet list was seen by his Western backers as a test of his commitment to building a clean and accountable government and eradicating the corruption that blights Afghanistan and helps fuel the Taliban insurgency. US and NATO countries fighting the Taliban have made it clear that the billions of dollars in military and development assistance they pour into Afghanistan now depend on concrete action against corruption. Those voted down included warlord Ismail Khan, nominated for the post of water and energy minister, widely seen as a reward for supporting Karzai during the fraud-tainted August presidential election that returned him to power. Also rejected was the only woman nominated to a cabinet post, incumbent women's affairs minister Husn Banu Ghazanfar, who lost out by two votes. Karzai has long relied on warlords to prop up his fragile government, but aides say he has recognised the need to appease the West to stay in power and bring some momentum to the development of his poverty-stricken country. He had been hoping to finalise his cabinet before an international conference in London on January 28 to discuss the future of the country. The position of foreign minister, the 25th cabinet post, will not be filled until after the conference, which will be attended by outgoing incumbent Rangin Dadfar Spanta, parliamentary spokesman Hasib Noori said. Those approved were the choices for defence, agriculture, interior, finance, education, culture, and mines and industries, mostly people backed by Karzai's Western supporters as competent and clean technocrats. Under the constitution, rejected nominees cannot be tapped again for the same post, Noori said, adding that parliament will begin a 45-day winter recess on January 5, leaving little time for Karzai to submit a new line-up. Kabul University law professor Nasrullah Stanikzai said the high number of rejections showed that Karzai had not thoroughly considered his list before presenting it to parliament last month. "The high rate of rejections will have a negative effect on those ministries which are without leadership and policy in the lead-up to the London conference," Stanikzai told AFP. "On the other hand, the high rate of rejections shows that parliament has risen above internecine considerations that have plagued Afghan politics in the past, such as tribal issues and ethnic divisions." Ministries without approved heads will be run by deputy ministers until nominees were approved, he said. The most notorious warlords Abdul Rashid Dostum and Mohammad Mohaqiq -- leaders of two minority ethnic groups which supported Karzai in the election and were expected to be rewarded with high office -- were not nominated. The international community deploys 113,000 troops to fight an increasingly bloody Taliban-led insurgency. Up to 40,000 more troops are due to arrive over the course of 2010, backed by thousands of civilians, as the war strategy turns from battleground tactics to development and aid. Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission meanwhile confirmed that a parliamentary election will take place on May 22. Commenting on reports the poll could be delayed because of fraud problems that plagued the presidential vote, the commission said security, budget and timing requirements had been met with the help of the international community. AGENCIES