Afghan officials: Karzai to keep half his cabinet
He also plans to keep on board a legendary warlord who holds political sway in the west, the officials said
Kabul: Afghan President Hamid Karzai wants to retain a half-dozen key Cabinet officials who have been embraced by the international community as he begins his second term and will replace two ministry heads linked to corruption, three officials in the Afghan government said on Friday.
He also plans to keep on board a legendary warlord who holds political sway in the west, the officials said.
Karzai has been working on his new Cabinet since even before he was sworn in Nov. 19 for another five years. The long-awaited list is seen as the first test of his willingness to assemble a team of reformists to respond to the international community's demand that he cleanse the government of corruption.
Karzai's decision to keep a handful of key ministers in their posts appears to be a nod to the US and other nations sending troops and financial aid to the war-worn, impoverished nation.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the list will not be formally announced until Saturday, said Karzai wants 12 of the 25 current ministers to stay on their jobs for now.
They include the ministers of defense, interior, foreign affairs, finance, public health and agriculture - all who have received kudos from the international community.
While Karzai wants to dismiss half his current Cabinet, most of the new faces come with strong education credentials or government experience and are not likely to provoke criticism by the West.
