Transitional President Karzai Unveils Second Part of Cabinet

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, June 23, 2002

Transitional President Karzai Unveils Second Part of Cabinet

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President of the Afghan Islamic Transitional Government Hamid Karzai late Saturday unveiled the second part of the lineup of his new cabinet after submitting his first part to the Loya Jirga for approval last Wednesday at the end of the Loya Jirga.

Meanwhile, the ceremony of the hand-over from the interim administration to the transitional government, which is widely expected to be held on Saturday in accordance with the power- sharing Bonn Agreement last December, was cancelled without no specific reason.

Karzai released the second batch and 13-member cabinet to the Kabul TV, but he did not appear on the screen.

Raheen Makhdoom, Abdullah Wardak, Ahmad Shaker Kargar, Amin Farhang and Dr. Sharif Faez would retain their portfolios as ministers of Information and Culture, Martyrs and Disabled, Water and Electricity, Reconstruction and Higher Education.

Mir Wais Sadeq, minister of Labor and Social Affairs in the interim authority, would change his post to minister of Aviation and Civil Tourism.

The ministries of Urban Development, Labor and Social Affairs, Irrigation and Environment, Transport, Public Works, Haj and Auqaf and Rural Development would be led by newcomers Mohammad Yousuf Pushton, Noor Ahmad Qarqeen, Mohammad Yousuf Noorstani, Sayed Ali Jawed, Haji Abdul Qadir, Ahmad Amin Naser and Mohammad Hanif Akmal, respectively.

It's not immediately known when Karzai would announce minister of Women's Affairs and Justice.

Karzai submitted only 14-member list of his cabinet to the Loya Jirga last Wednesday, which was approved by about 1,600 delegates by show of hands.

The new broad-based cabinet would be of the same size as that of the interim government, although Karzai pledged once and again during the nine-day Loya Jirga that he would simplify the government structure to make it more efficient.

BBC Radio in Dari reported Saturday that the transitional president had decided the post of Justice Minister at the request of deputy Defense Minister General Rashid Dostum, a Uzbek and key player of the Northern Alliance.

Dostum will be given several additional titles as the special representative of the president and command-in-chief in northern provinces.

Former Interior Minister Mohammad Yunus Qanooni, who was appointed as Minister of Education at the end of Loya Jirga Wednesday, got another post as advisor of Internal Security to the president.

Meanwhile, a large-scale celebration was held in Kabul Stadium by Afghan sports associations to show their support for the successful conclusion of the Loya Jirga.

Abdul Hamid Mobarez, deputy minister of information and publication, said in his opening speech that every step towards peace in Afghanistan would inevitably do good to sports development in the war-shattered country.

About 500 athletes made show performances of Taekwando, cycling, boxing, body-building, handball, basketball, hockey and wrestling in front of over 2,000 spectators.

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