Afghan Cabinet still not finalized: Presidential Palace

Kabul: The Afghan Presidential Palace has said that Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the High Council for Reconciliation, was yet to introduce his nominated Ministers for the new Cabinet.

On Monday, the Palace's deputy spokesman Dawa Khan Menapal said that nominees for Ministers must meet the criteria, so that the President can send them to the National Assembly for a vote of confidence, reports TOLO News.

"As soon as our political partners make a list according to the criteria, the government will send it to the parliament for a vote of confidence," said Menapal. On the other hand, Fraidoon Khwazoon, spokesman for Abdullah, said that they have sent their nominee list to the Presidential Palace.

"For our part, the problem is solved and we have sent the list of nominated ministers that is relevant to us and it will be implemented according to the agreement," he said.

A number of politicians and citizens of the country consider the existence of differences between Ghani and Abdullah as one of the main reasons for the delay with the cabinet. "The big reason is that these two people do not get along with each other and that is why they do not agree on governors and ministers," said Abdul Rauf Shapoon, a lawmaker.

In May, a power-sharing agreement was signed between President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah to end the political deadlock following last year's presidential election. Under the agreement signed on Sunday, Ghani remains as President, while Abdullah will head the High Council for National Reconciliation to lead the peace talks with the Taliban.

Abdullah, who served as Chief Executive in the previous government and contested the presidential poll on September 28, 2019, had challenged the outcome of the vote in which the Election Commission declared Ghani as winner.

When the delayed results of the election were finally announced in February, Ghani was again declared President by the Independent Election Commission after earning a slightly higher percentage than Abdullah, reports TOLO News. But the tensions increased after Ghani and Abdullah, both held inauguration ceremonies on the same day in their adjacent respective palaces, after the latter rejected the outcome.