Karzai presents new list of cabinet nominees to Afghan parliament

Kabul - Afghan President Hamid Karzai's new cabinet lineup was formally presented Saturday to the country's parliament after the legislators rejected 17 designated ministers last week. The new 16 nominees included Zalmai Rasool, a former national security adviser slated to be foreign minister. The post was vacant in the previous list.

None of the rejected nominees was on the new list.

Three women were on the revised list presented to the lower house of the parliament by Vice President Karim Khalili. They were nominated as ministers of women's affairs, public health and public works.

No nominees were introduced to parliament for the energy and telecommunications ministries.

The legislature last week rejected 17 out of 24 cabinet nominees and only approved seven, including the defense, interior and finance ministers.

Karzai, who was sworn in for a second five-year term last month after polls marred by widespread fraud, has been under mounting pressure from Western countries to clean up his administration and crack down on rampant graft.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/302820,karzai-presents-new-list-of-cabinet-nominees-to-afghan-parliament.html.