Afghan president faces new hurdles as cabinet nominees rejected
Source: Reuters
Afghan president faces new hurdles as cabinet nominees rejected
BY MIRWAIS HAROONI AND JESSICA DONATI
KABUL Wed Jan 28, 2015 9:32am EST
(Reuters) - Afghanistan's parliament dealt a new blow to President Ashraf Ghani's efforts to assemble a government on Wednesday, approving just eight out of 25 cabinet nominees before its winter recess.
Ghani, who took office in September promising dramatic reforms and greater transparency, must now wait until mid-March before introducing new candidates to the lower house.
The key positions of minister of the economy, defense and justice all remained vacant after the vote. The nomination of a central bank governor was also rejected by the lower house.
The lack of leadership at ministries is fueling instability at a critical time. The country is already struggling with a severe budget crisis, plummeting economic growth and a growing Taliban insurgency.
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