KABUL - The Office of the Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah Saturday said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has become a weak and ineffective institution, accusing the presidential palace of monopolizing the authorities of Afghanistan's diplomatic institution.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs is also among the ministers who has not enough authority to do his job, the CEO's office said.
The CEO's office has added that the centralization of power in the presidential palace has undermined the ability of the ministry of foreign affairs and the job of the minister.
Meanwhile, a number of political analysts have also said that MoFA's power for mapping out the nation's foreign policy track has also been confiscated and monopolized by certain elements close to the presidential palace.
In a recent development, Afghan ambassador to Oslo Manizha Bakhtari resigned from her post over what she called monopolization, discriminatory policies and nepotism by the president and his colleagues.
In a letter, Bakhtari wrote that the distribution of government posts among certain tribes and colleagues has been unprecedented in Afghanistan's history.
The statement comes amid rising tensions between the presidential palace and the CEO.
Sources have said that the presidential palace has reduced the authorities of the minister of foreign affairs and the job of minister of foreign affairs are apparently carried out by people close to the president including the national security advisor, minister of finance and president's special advisors.
For instance, Afghanistan's foreign policy with the US and UK is moved forward by the president himself while foreign policy with Russia, China, India and Iran is tackled by the national security advisor.
"Regarding regional countries particularly the neighbors and regarding insurgency there is a need for a single policy and harmony," said Tawab Ghorzang, spokesman for the national security advisor.
Meanwhile, a number of analysts have criticized the ministry of foreign affairs for failing to tackle the nation's foreign policy.
"Unnecessary issues are referred to the ministry of foreign affairs, but the important works and the works that define Afghanistan's foreign policy is tackled by those who are appointed by the president himself," said MP Dawoud Kalakani.
Analysts have said that tackling Afghanistan's foreign policy by a few people close to the president will damage Afghanistan's reputation.
"The issue that the president has sidelined an important institution of Afghanistan or the ministry of foreign affairs will weaken Afghanistan's foreign policy in the long term," said political analyst Haroon Mir.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Presidential Palace and the Ministry of Finance (MoF) is yet to comment on this. However the CEO's office has confirmed that the presidential palace has reduced the authorities of the ministry of foreign affairs.
"The chief executive has said that the ministers in the cabinet can use their authorities given to them by the law, so minister of foreign affairs is also a member of the cabinet of Afghanistan," said Jawed Faisal, deputy spokesman to CEO.
Currently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) in some cases has not the authority to approve or reject appointments.(Tolonews)