New names in Karzai’s second cabinet list

By Lotfullah Najafizada reporting from Kabul

(January 09, Kabul, Sri Lanka Guardian) President Karzai presented a second slate of 16 nominees to fill his Cabinet after parliament rejected 17 of his 24 first picks. The new list, includes three women, nominated for the ministries of health, social affairs and women, was submitted Saturday to the Lower House of parliament by Vice-President Karim Khalili.

The Afghan president has nominated his Security Council chief, Zalmay Rasul, as the minister of Foreign Affairs -- the position remained vacant in his first list.

Today’s picks didn’t include nominees for ministers of energy and telecommunication as the parliament rejected Ismael Khan, a former Jehadi leader, and Amirzay Sangin – Karzai’s initial choices for the posts.

Fourteen of the 16 nominees are new names and the MPs are expected to check out their background over the next few days.

Names of two former ministers, Zarar Mohammad Moqbel, the ex-Minister of Interior, and Amina Afzali, a former Minister of Youth Affairs, also appear in the second list.
Lawmakers will review the candidates during the next several days before of voting expected next week.

Karzai last week ordered the parliament to cancel its winter recess so it could consider new nominations for Cabinet posts.

Nominees must present themselves to parliament and face questioning from MPs before a secret ballot for approval.

Following the rejection head of the UN mission in Afghanistan, Kai Eide, said that lawmakers' decision to reject 70 percent of President Karzai's Cabinet nominees was a “political setback”.

Kai Eide said the rejection will only delay efforts to get a functioning government up and running.

Second List of nominees for Cabinet posts
1. Minister of Foreign Affairs: Zalmai Rasul
2. Minister of Justice: Habibullah Ghaleb
3. Minister of Higher Education: Hashim Esmatullahi
4. Minister of Hajj: Yousuf Neyazi
5. Minister of Public Works: Bashir Lale
6. Minister of Public Health: Suraya Dalil
7. Minister of Economy: Abdul Hadi Arghandiwal
8. Minister of Commerce: Mohammad Hadi Hakimi
9. Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development: Jarullah Masoori
10. Minister of Labour and Social Affairs: Amina Afzali
11. Minister of Transport: Abdul Rahim Oraz
12. Minister of Women Affairs: Palwasha Hasan
13. Minister of Refugees and Returnees: Abdul Rahim
14. Minister of Tribal Affairs and Border Affairs: Arsala Jamal
15. Minister of Counter Narcotics: Zarar Ahmad Moqbel
16. Minister of Urban Development:Eng Sultan Hussain