After three
month of intense negotiations, the national unity government led by President
Ashraf Ghani and CEO Abdullah Abdullah nominated its cabinet on Monday. The
delay was caused by Ghani’s attempt to avoid assignment based on patronage
networks, but instead based on meritocracy or intellectual talent in the field
of responsibility. A further result of his approach is that a majority of the
candidates are hardly known to the wider public. Critique is thus growing as to
whether the appointed candidates have enough expertise and experience to rule
the country and ensure lasting stability and security in the conflict-ridden
country.
Ethnically,
the cabinet is very diverse with Pashtuns comprising the largest number of
representatives (36%) followed by Tajiks (28%), Hazaras (20%), Uzbeks (12%),
and Turkmens (4%). Three women are nominated for ministerial posts in the
fields of women’s affairs, culture and higher education. Before commencing
their work, however, all ministries will need to be approved by parliament. The
following list comprises of short biographies of those individuals nominated
for the ministries of defense, interior, foreign affairs, finance as well as
the Head of National Directorate of Security.
Minstry of Defense – Lieutenant
General Sher Mohammad Karimi
Sher
Mohammad Karimi is a Pashtun, born in Khost province. He currently serves as
the Afghan Army Chief of Staff after he was employed as a director of the
ministry of defense during Dr. Mohammad Najibullah’s government. He received
training and education in Afghanistan, the UK, the US, Egypt and India. Karimi
worked closely with President Ghani during the transferring of responsibility
for security from NATO-forces to Afghan troops.
Ministry of Interior – Nur ul-Haq
Ulumi
Nur ul-Haq
Ulumi is a Pashtun from the Barakzai tribe, born in Kandhahar province. During
the Afghan civil war, he served in the Afghan army as Lieutenant General. After the fall of the Taliban, he chaired the Defense Committee as a member of parliament. He is seen as endorsed by Abdullah.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs –
Salahuddin Rabbani
Salahuddin
Rabbani is a Tajik from Badakhshan province. He served as a diplomat for
Afghanistan and had been ambassador to Turkey since 2011. In early 2012, he was
formally appointed chair of the Afghan High Peace Council, a body of the
Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Program that leads negotiations with
elements of the Taliban. Salahuddin Rabbani is the son of former President Burhanuddin
Rabbani, who was killed by a suicide bomber in 2011. He is known as a supporter
of Abdullah.
Ministry of Finance – Ghulam Jilani
Popal
Ghulam
Jilani Popal is a Pashtun from Kabul. He studied law and was appointed as the
first director general of the Independent Directorate Local Governance in
Afghanistan. Popal is known for his strong support of former President Harmid
Karzai, who appointed him as a governance advisor. Between 2003 and 2005, he
served as Deputy Minister for Customs and Revenue under the Afghan Ministry of
Finance. He campaigned for Ghani and is now a close ally of the new President.
Head of National Directorate of
Security – Rahmatullah Nabil Nabil
Rahmatullah
Nabil Nabil is a Pashtun. He is the current acting director of Afghanistan’s
intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security. He studied in
Pakistan and worked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He
is close to Ghani.
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Tolo News
posted an interesting article on Tuesday, 13.01.2015, raising the question
whether a primacy of power sharing prevented structural reform in cabinet.
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