By Abdul Waheed Wafa and Carlotta Gall
The New York Times, 28 February 2006
KABUL, Afghanistan, Feb. 27 — The Afghan Parliament decided Monday to confirm cabinet ministers individually, rather than to vote on the president's cabinet as a whole, setting the stage for a long and tortuous confirmation process.
The vote, 130 to 90, was decided by secret ballot, after a vote by show of hands last month was questioned by supporters of President Hamid Karzai.
Across town, at the country's main high-security prison, Pul-i-Charkhi, a tense standoff with rioting prisoners accused of being fighters for the ousted Taliban regime continued.
The leader of the upper house of Parliament, Sebaghatullah Mojadeddi, and senior clerics visited the prison to try to mediate, but so far without success. At least 5 inmates were killed and 30 wounded when guards opened fire during an escape attempt late Saturday.
The prisoners had demanded to speak to Mr. Mojadeddi because he is the head of the peace and reconciliation commission, which negotiates the release of Taliban prisoners from American custody on condition they return to peaceful life. The director of the prison, Gen. Abdul Salaam Bakhshi, said that the leaders of the riot had Taliban ties and were demanding an amnesty.
On Monday, prisoners remained in control of the cellblock where the riots began on Saturday night, and still had not handed over those killed and wounded in the first clash with prison guards.
Confirmation of cabinet ministers and senior appointments and budget approval are among the few important powers granted to Afghanistan's Parliament under the 2004 Constitution.
In Parliament on Monday, in a debate that lasted all day, supporters of the current strong-president system contended that confirming ministers individually would bring regional and ethnic influences to bear on appointments and cause long delays.
"It would take maybe four months to approve a cabinet and voting would be based on tribe, language and region," said Safia Sidiqi, a representative from the eastern province of Nangarhar. Ministers would not be selected according to merit, but according to the support they can muster among Parliament members, she said.
Mr. Karzai has often been criticized, though, for juggling cabinet appointments in order to please all factions and regions.
The legislators made it clear on Monday that they wanted cabinet ministers to answer to Parliament for their actions. Kabir Ahmad Ranjbar, a Kabul lawmaker, accused Mr. Karzai of interfering in parliamentary affairs, saying, "If the voting is for a package of ministers, the cabinet will again be a coalition cabinet, and those who have influence will be ministers and merit will be ignored."
Abdul Waheed Wafa reported from Kabul for this article, and Carlotta Gall from Islamabad, Pakistan. Sultan M. Munadi contributed reporting from Pul-i-Charkhi.
-----------------------------
Citation: Abdul Waheed Wafa and Carlotta Gall. "Afghans Reject a Single Vote to Approve Karzai Cabinet," The New York Times, 28 February 2006.
Original URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/28/international/asia/28afghan.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
-----------------------------