Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Afghanistan - Govt has no will to name cabinet

www.pajhwok.com




Wolesi Jirga members on Wednesday lambasted the unity government lacked the political will and determination to introduce a new cabinet involving committed and qualified individuals.
After being sworn in on Sept 29, both President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah had promised they would unveil the cabinet within 45 days, a deadline they failed to meet.
Lower house member from Kabul Zakria told a general session the people of Afghanistan had reached the conclusion the new government lacked the political will to promote good governance.
He strongly criticised the government for failing to announce the cabinet in three months. The lawmaker said the government should make it clear to the masses it was afraid of powerful individuals and could not introduce the cabinet.
“Or that it (the government) wants to play with people’s will. Leaders of the government must visit ministries and see what atrocities acting officials are meting out to the poor Afghans,” Zakria observed.
His colleague from western Faryab province, Bashir Ahmad Tanj, also criticised the delay in cabinet formation and said: “This patience will be acceptable to the people if the government forms an experienced cabinet uninfluenced by political groups and other factions.”
Tanj believed if the security sector ministries were distributed between the two campaigns, there would be confrontation in various matters and as a result, problems would be created for the people.
Ghulam Farooq Majrooh from western Herat province also said the government lacked a strong will to introduce cabinet nominees and had disheartened the masses.
“The masses braved hundreds of threats and voted for a developed and stable Afghanistan, but this government gave them hostility in return instead of goodwill.”
He said nothing had been done for the wellbeing of the people after the new government’s formation. The MPs insisted the government should introduce the cabinet composed of expert, truthful and clean people at the earliest.
Speaker Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi said the government should respect the august house and law and should introduce cabinet nominees for a vote of confidence.
“I once again address the honourable president and chief executive to introduce the cabinet and stop testing people’s patience.” Ibrahimi said the government must put an end to the problems being created for people by acting officials.
The lower house had previously given the government a week’s time to introduce the cabinet and had warned of a unilateral decision if the nominees were not sent to the house until Saturday.

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