New Afghan cabinet picks flayed

NEW YORK - Several Afghan MPs are unimpressed by the new slate of 16 cabinet ministers announced by President Hamid Karzai Saturday to fill positions left vacant when Parliament refused to approve earlier choices, The New York Times reported Sunday.
Some members of Parliament appeared ready to reject the new nominees, the newspaper said. Their displeasure could prolong the stalemate that has left Afghanistan without a fully functional government since the widely criticised presidential election last summer, it said in a dispatch from Kabul.
When 17 of Karzais 24 nominees were rejected last week, he was urged to fill the cabinet with people with technical expertise. But critics say Karzai is still turning to his political allies. This is the same as the previous list, said Mir Ahmed Joyenda, an independent who represents Kabul. It is like a limited company and those people who have supported Mr Karzai, they each have a share.
Daoud Sultanzoi from Ghazni said the country needs cabinet members 'who can build those ministries.
The new list includes three women.
Karzai was elected to a second term in a contentious election. The leading opposition candidate, Abdullah Abdullah, dropped out before the runoff election, saying he believed that would be no more fair than the first one.