Karzai Presents New Cabinet

By YAROSLAV TROFIMOV

KABUL -- Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai has presented to Parliament a new cabinet that retains key ministers backed by the West, diminishing fears of a government dominated by warlords and removing two ministers suspected of fostering corruption.

Associated Press

Facing intense pressure to reform, President Hamid Karzai plans to replace heads of two ministries linked to corruption while retaining several others favored by the West.

Mr. Karzai, who secured the backing of several Afghan warlords for his re-election, was torn between the need to repay these supporters with government jobs and international pressure to cut down on corruption and install competent ministers. His final lineup, which came after weeks of haggling with Afghan and foreign allies, isn't perfect but is broadly acceptable, diplomats say. "This is not catastrophic. Karzai has kept his commitments," a senior Western diplomat said.

The cabinet won't include reform-minded politicians whom the U.S. and its allies had hoped to see in the new administration, such as former Interior Minister Ali Ahmad Jalali or former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani. Supporters of Abdullah Abdullah, the runner-up in the August election, aren't included either, despite pressure for reconciliation between the rivals in the face of a spreading Taliban insurgency. However, the current ministers of finance, interior, defense, health, education and agriculture -- all of them seen as credible and effective by Afghanistan's Western partners -- will keep their jobs. "There was a lot of balancing that was necessary," said Moyen Minstrial, an Afghan lawmaker and an adviser to Mr. Karzai. "In the end, he had to make sure that both the international community and his allies at home were happy."