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| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| Armed militias still an issue |
| 2005-01-04 |
| In one his last moves to close 2004, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai held the first meeting with his new Cabinet, stressing that ministers need to work together to rebuild the war-torn country and carry it into a brighter future. In the meeting at the Presidential Palace in the capital Kabul, Karzai, the first elected president in Afghanistan, said that the Cabinet must focus on the economy, education and security and that the success of the government should be based on how well it fights against the flourishing drug industry. He also urged the ministers to turn away from tribal and ethnic loyalty and commit themselves to the people who have been struggling during warfare that lasted for a quarter of a century. The President said before the meeting that infighting in the Cabinet between political parties must be avoided. "I hope all of our ministers in the Cabinet, if they have any link with political parties, they should resign from those parties. If they do, then the people of Afghanistan will trust our Cabinet," said Karzai. Karzai's selection of ministers, announced just days before the first meeting, has been seen as a significant move. Some warlords holding positions as ministers in the interim government put together after the Taliban regime was ousted in late 2001 were removed. Most of the ministerial positions were filled by technocrats with experience related to their new jobs and a college degree was a requirement. "Taking out warlords and bringing in more qualified people is a fresh start for President Karzai to unify the country, establishing security and rebuilding a country that is in real need," said an Afghan analyst. Former Defense Minister Mohammed Fahim, once a leading commander of the Northern Alliance, was replaced by his deputy Abdur Rahim Wardak, who fought against the Soviets in the eighties. Yunus Qanooni, who ran against Karzai during the presidential elections last October after being the Minister of Education, was not given a position in the Cabinet. Two ministers were appointed as governors in important provinces after being replaced in the Cabinet. Gul Afha Sherzai, former Minister of Public Works, was named governor of the Kandahar province, while Sayed Hussain Anwari, former Minister of Agriculture, is now the governor of the Kabul province, which includes the capital city. Karzai, who won the presidential elections on October 9 and took 55% of the votes, appointed the female presidential candidate Massouda Jalal as the Minister of Women's Affairs. |
| Posted by:Fred |