KABUL - The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs has introduced to the Wolesi Jirga (WJ) for trust vote President Hamid Karzai's picks for defense, interior and tribal affairs ministers, as well as the spy agency head.
Through a decree issued late on Sunday, Karzai introduced Bismillah Mohammadi, the former interior minister who was unseated by parliament in August, as defense minister to replace Abdul Rahim Wardak.
Both Mohammadi and Wardak were ousted by parliament for failing to prevent cross-border attacks by Pakistan into eastern Afghan provinces.
Ghulam Mujtaba Patang, the current deputy interior minister, has been nominated to head the ministry, and Asadullah Khalid, the ex-governor of Kandahar, replaces the National Directorate of Security chief, Rahmatullah Nabil.
Karzai nominated Haji Azizullah Din Mohammad as the minister-designate of border and tribal affairs.
Mohammad Farhad Azimi, Wolesi Jirga's deputy secretary, told reporters in Kabul the nominees were introduced to the legislature through a letter from the parliamentary affairs ministry on Monday.
Their educational testimonials and other documents were being scrutinized by the Wolesi Jirga's education and religious and cultural commissions, he added.
"I don't think the vetting process will take much time because the documents of Asadullah Khalid and Bismillah Mohammadi have already been checked. Since new faces have made their way to the house, re-investigation seems necessary,"Azimi remarked.
He said after the scrutiny was completed, members of the house administrative board and commissions would fix a date for the nominees to present their programs before lawmakers for the trust vote.
Some lawmakers on Monday advised President Karzai not to risk a destabilizing row with the legislature by reappointing sacked ministers and officials, insisting they wanted new faces.
Kabul-based analysts say the political turmoil has been hampering decision-making on several crucial pieces of legislation.
They believe a fresh confrontation between Karzai and parliament could also affect the timetable for security transition and a withdrawal by most foreign combat troops by 2014.
Meanwhile, the upper house of parliament unanimously approved long-term cooperation agreements the government has reached with the UK and Italy. The pacts have already been approved by the lower house. (Pajhwok)