11 cabinet picks win confidence vote from Wolesi Jirga

KABUL — or lower house of parliament — on Monday approved 11 ministers-designate except the nominee for the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum.

The government introduced 12 ministers-designate to the lower house for a vote of confidence on November 25. Each pick needed 113 votes for confirmation from the 225 lawmakers present.

Shahzad Gul Aryubi, minister-designate for communication and information technology, secured 115 votes. Mustafa Mansoor, minister-designate economy got 155 ballots.

Mohammad Shafiq Gul Agha Sherzai, minister-designate for border and tribal affairs, obtained 158 votes. Tariq Shah Bahrami, nominee for defense minister, bagged 141 votes.

Nasir Ahmad Durrani, nominee for agriculture, livestock and irrigation minister, won 144 votes, Mujib Rahman Karimi (rural rehabilitation and development) 129, Wais Ahmad Barmak (interior minister) 173 votes and Mohammad Hamid Tahmasi (transport and civil aviation) 149.

Dr. Najibullah Khwaja Omari, minister-designate for higher education, obtained 124 votes, Faizaullah Zaki (labor and social affairs) 126 and Eng. Yama Yari (public works)156 votes.

However, minister-designate for mines and petroleum Nargis Nehan bagged only 107 votes. She failed to find her way to the cabinet.

Some of the ministries were led by acting officials for about one and a half a year. An acting minister cannot work legally for more than two months under the constitution.

Ministries of foreign affairs, education and information and culture are also headed by acting officials. The government is yet to introduce nominees for these portfolios.

Wolesi Jirga Speaker Abdur Rauf Ibrahimi asked the government to introduce cabinet picks for the remaining three ministries, as well as the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum.

mds/mud

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