KABUL (Pajhwok): The Wolesi Jirga on Wednesday asked its administrative board members to hold a meeting with President Ashraf Ghani on the delay in the announcement of the cabinet.
After being sworn in as president more than two months ago, Ghani had promised to unveil a new cabinet in 25 days. The delay has already drawn widespread criticism.
Last week, he told a conference in London: "We intend to form a cabinet within 2 to 4 weeks of returning. We are determined to bring people of competence, commitment, integrity and transparency."
Speaking in the Wolesi Jirga, a member from western Herat province, Ghulam Farooq Majrooh, accused the president of failing to keep his promise regarding the cabinet nomination.
“The second timeframe given by the president is about to go out, but there is no sign of new ministers being nominated,” the lawmaker remarked, while deploring the delay.
Fatima Nazari, a female public representative from Kabul, alleged the acting ministers had worked with brazen irresponsibility. She lamented the acting ministers’ casual approach had further complicated problems.
“If the government doesn’t want to name cabinet picks in haste, security institutions’ heads must be nominated forthwith to control the ongoing wave of violence in the country,” she stressed.
Speaker Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi observed: “The delay in nominating ministers amounts to corruption and injustice to the people of Afghanistan.”
He said the administrative board was duty-bound to meet the president soon to know why the Council of Ministers could not be formed so far. His remarks were met with approval by a majority of MPs.
