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INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 06 KABUL 000021 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/02/2020 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM AF
SUBJECT: PARLIAMENT REJECTS MOST OF KARZAI'S CABINET 
NOMINEES 
 
REF: A. KABUL 4139 
     ¶B. KABUL 4137 
 
Classified By: PolCouns Annie Pforzheimer for Reasons 1.4 b,d 
 
¶1. (S) Summary: On January 2, the Afghan Lower House (Wolesi 
Jirga) voted to accept seven of President Karzai's 24 Cabinet 
nominees and to reject 17 others.  Two nominees were not 
voted on as their ministries are newly proposed by the 
President and not yet approved by Parliament.  Karzai will 
likely appoint many current ministers and deputies as Acting 
Ministers during Parliament's upcoming recess.  Rumors abound 
about the vote outcomes and motives seem to have ranged from 
venal to lofty.  Several sources, including two ministers who 
were voted down, say some MPs were soliciting cash for their 
votes.  Public reaction in Kabul is cautiously positive.  End 
Summary. 
 
Parliament Votes 
---------------- 
 
¶2. (U) In an all-day session on January 2, the Wolesi Jirga 
voted to approve seven of President Karzai's Cabinet nominees 
and to reject 17 out of the total 24.  Some Ministers, like 
Ismail Khan for Water and Energy, narrowly failed to gain the 
required 117 votes, while others received only 30-40 votes. 
There are a total of 249 parliamentarians in the Wolesi 
Jirga, of whom 232 were present. 
 
¶3. (C) Those approved included the Ministers of Defense, 
Interior Affairs, Finance, Education, Mines, Agriculture, and 
Culture and Youth Affairs.  Those rejected include the 
Ministers of Economy, Justice, Higher Education, Hajj and 
Religious Affairs, Water and Energy, Transportation and 
Aviation, Commerce, Public Welfare, Public Health, 
Communication, Women's Affairs, Labor and Social Affairs, 
Border and Tribal Affairs, Rural Rehabilitation and 
Development, Anti-Narcotics, Refugees, and Urban Development. 
 Vote tallies and short biographic notes are in para 15. 
 
¶4. (C)  Two other Ministries were created by Karzai but have 
not been approved yet by Parliament: Literacy, and Martyrs 
and Disabled.  Karzai forwarded nominees for these 
ministerial posts but Parliament refuses to consider them 
until it decides on the issue of establishing the ministries 
themselves.  Karzai did not nominate a Minister of Foreign 
Affairs.  Four more positions that require confirmation but 
have not yet been submitted are the head of the intelligence 
service, the head of the Central Bank, the head of the Red 
Crescent Society and the Attorney General. 
 
Legal Way Forward 
----------------- 
 
¶5. (C)  Based on current law, there is nothing either to 
prevent or compel Karzai to offer new cabinet nominations 
before Parliament recesses on January 5.  If he is prepared 
to put forward another slate of candidates, he could either 
call for an extraordinary session of Parliament to hold 
another round of confirmation hearings, or appoint by 
Presidential decree under Article 79 of the Constitution 
caretaker ministers who would be subject to confirmation when 
 Parliament reconvenes in February.  Alternatively, he could 
postpone nominating new ministers until after the January 28 
London Conference and decree all sitting Ministers who were 
rejected to be "acting" - as he did previously with Foreign 
Minister Spanta - and likewise designate as "acting" the 
Deputy Ministers of those ministries for which new minister 
candidates failed.  Palace sources and one current minister 
told us that Karzai would probably implement this last 
scenario. He may announce this at his full Cabinet meeting 
January 4, according to this minister. 
 
Reactions and Rumors 
-------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) Early on January 2, the head of the President's Office 
of Administrative Affairs told us the government hoped to 
have at least 15 ministers approved.  Presidential spokesman 
Waheed Omer said January 3 that the result of the parliament 
was totally unexpected by the President.  He said that even 
though the results created an 'unpleasant situation' for the 
President, Karzai would respect the Parliament's vote.  He 
added that democracy is a new phenomenon in the country and 
the Afghan government must respect the values of democracy 
and the Afghan Constitution.  "This is the beauty of 
democracy.  We are exercising democracy," said the spokesman. 
According to some sources the President was extremely angered 
late January 2 but by the morning of January 3 he was 
philosophial with a visiting CODEL, calling the vote a "step 
forward to democracy" and noting that "allies voted against 
me because I wouldn't nominate their friends" or because 
 
KABUL 00000021  002 OF 006 
 
 
ministers had not visited them to lobby.  He has other names 
to fill the open slots for the next nominees, according to 
the Palace. 
 
¶7. (C)  Some MPs and others speculated that this first slate 
of nominees was really a trial balloon or "sacrifice list" 
and that Karzai,s true intention was to postpone sending his 
final list until after the London conference.   This line of 
speculation posits the first Cabinet slate as Karzai,s way 
fulfilling campaign promises without giving up key political 
capital which, contrary to public appearances, could prove to 
be a win-win for Karzai.  Karzai can use the London 
Conference to get a raft of new appointees that donors fully 
approve of and then submit these to Parliament as his real 
Cabinet nominees with a much stronger presentation and 
personal endorsement than was received by the "first draft" 
Cabinet picks. 
 
¶8. (C) Deputy Speaker of the Wolesi Jirga and former 
Presidential candidate Mirwais Yasini (Pashtun, Nangarhar), 
who harbors a grudge against Karzai for theft of Yasini,s 
small Pashtun voter base in the 2009 Presidential election, 
told us on January 3 that the rejection of the 17 ministers 
was "the results of days and nights of work" and that he and 
other like-minded MP,s had campaigned behind the scenes to 
encourage a rejection of cabinet nominees who were 
unqualified, and an acceptance of "technical people."  In 
particular, Yasini said, they had worked to keep those who 
were nominated on the basis of the "President's deals" with 
power-brokers and warlords from gaining access to the "money 
ministries" such as Transportation and Commerce.  Meanwhile, 
successful and unsuccessful ministers alike allege to the 
Embassy that they vote-buying or the request for specific 
personal favors was rampant by MP's. 
 
¶9. (S) Health Minister Sayed Fatimie told Ambassador Wayne by 
phone that for the last two weeks he has been fighting 
outright "cash for confirmation vote" demands from MPs. 
Expressing shock at the blatancy of these extortion attempts, 
Fatimie said MPs had offered their own votes and the votes of 
others they could purportedly deliver for $1000 apiece.  He 
said he refused all such demands and pleaded with the MPs to 
recognize how detrimental to the country their behavior was. 
He further claimed that all 102 members who voted for him had 
told him personally they would vote to confirm him because of 
his record.  Shaken and upset, Fatimie told the Ambassador, 
"I did not want to be considered a corrupt man and that is 
the only way I could be confirmed...I would not surrender to 
this dirty, dirty situation."  Fatimie did not want to 
provide the names of the MPs over the phone, but we expect he 
will do so in personal meetings in the near future.  The 
current Minister of Counternarcotics similarly told Wayne he 
had been approached by five or six groups of deputies asking 
for money. He said he told them he had none to offer. 
 
¶10. (C) Echoing the theme of whether Karzai's support had 
been real, MP Mahmood Gailani (Pashtun, Ghazni), nephew of 
Hamed Gailani, rejected as Minister of Border and Tribal 
Affairs, told us January 3 that there had been "mixed 
signals" from the Palace and weak support, citing Karzai 
telling MP,s in late December who complained about the 
cabinet list that "it,s your choice", and that the 
President's point man, Farouk Wardak, newly approved Minister 
of Education, had campaigned actively for himself but 
neglected others.  Gailani said that Karzai now faced some 
"very annoyed" warlords and power-brokers such as Dostum, Pir 
Gailani, Mojaddedi and Mohaqqeq, whose candidates were 
unsuccessful. 
 
¶11. (C) Regarding the rejections, Gailani alleged (without 
offering proof) that the Hizbe-Islami party had decided, as a 
bloc of about 25 votes, to vote against all/all the ministers 
(except Farouk Wardak (Education) an ex-party member) simply 
because their party's one ministerial candidate, for Martyrs 
and Disabled Affairs, had to wait for a ministry to be 
legally created before he could be sent for confirmation. 
Gailani said that his uncle had gotten a low vote because, 
when asked during the confirmation hearings how he could 
justify three members of the Gailani family getting 
cabinet-level posts, he had gotten angry and said "so don't 
vote for me!" 
 
¶12. (C) Former Presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah 
crowed to the media that this turn of events was a sign of 
the decay of Karzai's power and the situation in Afghanistan. 
 Additionally, on January 2, Junbesh Party leader Dostum 
released a statement saying the Junbesh Party had supported 
three of the candidates who failed to be confirmed.  Their 
failure to obtain confirmation was not what the Junbesh Party 
expected from their negotiations, nor what they expected from 
their political partners.  The statement said further that 
the party would discuss the issue in an urgent meeting and 
 
KABUL 00000021  003 OF 006 
 
 
warned that "those who believe in tactics more than 
solidarity and political partnership will face the 
consequences." 
 
¶13. (C) Some Embassy contacts mentioned being pleased with 
the fact that Parliament had appeared not to fall in line 
with Karzai.  Others said that Parliament wanted to "teach 
President Karzai a lesson."  Rumors swirl about the amounts 
spent by the approved Ministers on payments to 
Parliamentarians for their votes.  A persistent canard of 
some MPs holds that the USG provided money to our chosen 
Ministerial nominees to make such payments to Parliament. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶14. (C) The Parliament's display of strength on January 2 no 
doubt reflected a variety of motives.  In Cabinet approval 
votes in years past, some MPs took pictures of their ballots 
with mobile phones, presumably to show their sponsors that 
they met their end of the bargain.  This practice was banned 
this time, giving MPs an additional measure of independence, 
and party and faction lines appear to have been freely 
crossed.  The talk of vote-buying and retribution against 
those who wouldn't pay is persistent and credible, but there 
also was a refreshing rejection of underwhelming candidates 
who were nominated based on connections to the warlords who 
have long dominated Afghanistan's political scene. 
 
Short Bios And Vote Tallies 
--------------------------- 
 
¶15. (U) Approved 
Ministry of National Defense 
H.E. General Abdul Rahim Wardak 
Pashtun from Wardak, military academy in Kabul and US, 
Deputy Minister of Defense since 2002 and Minister of 
Defense since 2004; used to be in Mahaz-e Melli (Pir 
Gailani), faced difficult questions on the business 
activities of his son Hamed Wardak. 
Yea: 124 
Nay: 100 
Abstain/blank/spoiled: 7 
 
(U) Approved 
Ministry of Interior Affairs 
H.E. Mohamad Hanif Atmar 
Pashtun from Laghman, Masters from York University, NGO 
background (NCA), was Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and 
Development and Minister of Education before becoming 
Minister of Interior in 2008; former Khalqi (worked for 
Khad, the intelligence service under the communist regime). 
Yea: 147 
Nay: 77 
Abstain/blank/spoiled: 5 
 
(U) Approved 
Ministry of Finance 
H.E. M. Omar Zakhilwal 
Pashtun from Nangarhar, educated in Canada (Doctorate), was 
Director of the Afghanistan Investment Support Agency 
(AISA) and Acting Minister of Transport, before becoming 
Minister of Finance in 2008; likely to face issue of dual 
citizenship, said to be close to Afghan Mellat. 
Yea: 141 
Nay: 84 
Abstain/blank/spoiled: 6 
 
(U) Approved 
Ministry of Culture and Youth Affairs 
H.E. Sayed Makhdom Amin Rahin 
Tajik from Kabul, Master's and Doctorate Literature from 
Tehran University, served on the Constitutional Commission 
under Adour Khan, various cultural posts in Pakistan and 
the US, active in the Rome group, Minister of Culture from 
2002-2005, failed to receive the vote of confidence in the 
2005 Cabinet, currently Ambassador to India; close to the 
king's family. 
Yea: 120 
Nay: 93 
Abstain/blank/spoiled: 18 
 
(U) Approved 
Ministry of Education 
H.E. Faroq Wardak 
Pashtun from Wardak, studied Pharmacy and Management in 
Pakistan, worked with the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan 
(1986-1996), and UNDP (1996-2002), head of the 
Constitutional Commission Secretariat, head of the JEMB 
Secretariat (2004 elections), head of the Secretariat of 
the Ministers' Council and Head of the Office of 
Administrative Affairs, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, 
 
KABUL 00000021  004 OF 006 
 
 
Head of the Peace Jirga Secretariat, and finally Minister 
of Education since 2008; Hezb-e Islami. 
Yea: 155 
Nay: 73 
Abstain/blank/spoiled: 3 
 
(U) Approved 
Ministry of Agriculture 
H.E. Muhamad Asif Rahimi 
Tajik, from Paghman, studied Public Management in Nebraska, 
NGO background (CARE), Director of NSP from 2004 and 2006, 
Deputy Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development 
from 2006 to 2008, and Minister of Agriculture since 2008. 
Yea: 136 
Nay: 89 
Abstain/blank/spoiled: 14 
 
(U) Approved 
Ministry of Mines 
H.E. Wahid u Allah Sharani 
Uzbek from Badakhshan, s/o Niamatullah Shahrani, former 
minister of Haj, educated in Pakistan an the UK, university 
lecturer in the UK, after return in 2004 respectively 
Presidential Advisor on Economic Affairs, Deputy Head of 
the Bank, and Deputy Minister of Finance.  Became Minister 
of Finance in 2008. 
Yea: 140 
Nay: 78 
Abstain/blank/spoiled: 14 
 
(U) Rejected 
Ministry of Economy 
H.E. Dr. Ahadi 
Pashtun from Sorobi Kabul, studied in Kabul, Beirut 
(American University) and Chicago, university lecturer in 
the US. Head of the Kabul Central Bank from 2002 to 2004, 
Minister of Finance from 2004 to 2008 (when he declared - 
and later retracted - his intention to run for the 
Presidency); former Head of Afghan Mellat. 
Yea: 91 
Nay: 130 
Abstain/blank/spoiled: 10 
 
(U) Rejected 
Ministry of Justice 
H.E. Sarwar Danish 
Hazara from Daikondi, studied Law and Islamic Education in 
Qom, member of the Constitutional Commission, first 
Governor of Daikondi, Minister of Justice since 2004; 
Hezb-e Wahdat (Khalili). 
Yea: 96 
Nay: 122 
Abstain/blank/spoiled: 13 
 
(U) Rejected 
Ministry of Higher Education 
H.E. Dr. Obedu allah Obed 
Tajik from Kabul, was Presidential Advisor on Social 
Affairs and Chancellor of the Medical University; facing 
questions on his own higher education and the fact that he 
gave three different dates of birth; neo-conservative. 
Yea: 94 
Nay: 121 
Abstain/blank/spoiled: 6 
 
(U) Rejected 
Ministry of Commerce 
H.E. Ghulam Muhamd Eelaq 
Hazara from Balkh, lecturer at the Kabul University from 
1867-1978, Deputy Head of the Export Bank and Deputy 
Ministry of Commerce under the communist regime until 
¶1989.  No official positions until 2006 (although he held 
unofficial government positions in Mazar-e Sharif). 
Currently Acting Director of the Chamber of Commerce and 
advisor to the Minister of Commerce; introduced by Mohaqeq. 
Yea: 78 
Nay: 138 
Abstain/blank/spoiled: 5 
 
(U) Rejected 
Ministry of Water and Energy 
H.E. Mohammad Ismail Khan 
Tajik from Shindad Herat, studied military academy in 
Kabul, was army commander of the southwest until joining 
the uprising against the communist government, Herat 
Governor (or actually Amir of the Southwest) under the 
mujahedin and Karzai government, Ministry of Water and 
Energy since 2004; Jamiat-e Islami. 
Yea: 111 
Nay: 109 
Abstain/blank/spoiled: 10 
 
 
KABUL 00000021  005.2 OF 006 
 
 
(U) Rejected 
Ministry of Transport and Aviation 
H.E. Dr. Mohammadollah Batash 
Uzbek from Kunduz, studied in Russia, was Dean of the 
Journalism Faculty in the 80s, Advisor to the Ministry of 
Parliamentary Affairs from 2005-2008, Advisor to IDLG since 
2008, member of the Special Advisory Board on Senior 
Appointments, Secretary of the Jombesh General Council from 
2003-2005. 
Yea: 82 
Nay: 138 
Abstain/blank/spoiled: 12 
 
Rejected 
Ministry of Women's Affairs 
H.E. Mrs. Hosn Bano Ghazanfar 
Uzbek from Balkh, studied literature in Kabul and Russia, 
worked in the Kabul University since the 80's, Dean of the 
Literature Faculty since 2003, Minister of Women's Affairs 
since 2005; brother owns Ghazanfar Bank. 
Yea: 115 
Nay: 108 
Abstain/blank/spoiled: 9 
 
Rejected 
Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs 
H.E. Enayatollah Baligh 
Tajik, from Kapisa, held several government and judicial 
positions under all regimes (including deputy of the Vice 
and Virtue Department under the Taliban), most recently 
lecturer of Sharia Law at Kabul University; senior member 
of Ettehad-e Islami (Sayyaf). 
Yea: 108 
Nay: 115 
Abstain/blank/spoiled: 4 
 
Rejected 
Ministry of Public Welfare 
H.E. Huseen Abdul Elahi 
Hazara from Ghazni, engineering faculty, Masters from 
Manila and (online) Doctorate from Atlanta University, 
worked in the private sector in Iran, was advisor to the 
Minister of Planning, had several positions in the Ministry 
of Education, and was most recently Director of Civil 
Service Reform in the Civil Service Commission; Hezb-e 
Wahdat (Mohaqeq). 
Yea: 33 
Nay: 179 
Abstain/blank/spoiled: 19 
 
Rejected 
Ministry of Public Health 
H.E. Dr. Sayed Mohammad Amin Fatimie 
Pashtun from Nangarhar, graduated from Nangarhar Medical 
Faculty, additional studies in Germany and US, Minister of 
Public Health in the mujahedin administration and in the 
current administration since 2004; affiliated with Nejat-e 
Melli (Mojadedi). 
Yea: 102 
Nay: 120 
Abstain/blank/spoiled: 8 
 
Rejected 
Ministry of Communication 
H.E. Eng. Amirzai Sangin 
Pashtun from Paktika, studied in the UK and lived and 
worked in Sweden, mainly in the field of telecommunication, 
returned in 2002 and worked as Ministerial Advisor, 
Director of GSM licensing, CEO of Afghan Telecom, and 
Minister of Telecommunication since December 2004 (when he 
only just received the vote of confidence in the midst of 
confusion over what constituted a simple majority). 
Yea: 92 
Nay: 130 
Abstain/blank/spoiled: 9 
 
Rejected 
Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development 
H.E. Waes Barmak 
Tajik from Panjshir, NGO background (ACBAR), Kabul 
Engineering Faculty and Masters from London SOAS (2004), 
currently Deputy Minister of MRRD; said to be introduced by 
Fahim. 
Yea: 90 
Nay: 127 
Abstain/blank/spoiled: 13 
 
Rejected 
Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs 
H.E. Esmael Monshi 
Turkman from Jowzjan, graduated from the Literature Faculty 
in 1985 after which he engaged in literacy courses all over 
 
KABUL 00000021  006 OF 006 
 
 
the country, left in 1989 and spent time in Pakistan and 
Turkmenistan, returned in 2002, member of the Executive 
Board of Jombesh-e Melli, Deputy Head of Jombesh since 
¶2007. 
Yea: 29 
Nay: 176 
 
Rejected 
Ministry of Borders and Tribal Affairs 
H.E. Seayd Hamid Gailani 
Pashtun from Paktika, studied in Cairo, Iran and Pakistan, 
s/o Pir Seyyed Gailani leader of Mahaz-e Melli, currently 
Deputy Speaker of the Meshrani Jirga, deputy of Mahaz-e 
Melli. 
Yea: 70 
Nay: 149 
Abstain/blank/spoiled: 13 
 
Rejected 
Ministry of Anti-Narcotics 
H.E. Gen Khodad 
Hazara from Daikondi, studied at the Military Academy in 
Kabul, India and Russia; army officer under the communist 
regime, Deputy Minister of Counter-Narcotics since 2005 and 
Minister since 2007; Khalq background, supported by 
Khalili. 
Yea: 36 
Nay: 176 
Abstain/blank/spoiled: 20 
 
Rejected 
Ministry of Refugees 
H.E. Enayatollah Nazari 
Tajik from Parwa, studied Political Science and Law in 
Kabul, worked for the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney 
General's Office under both the communist and mujahedin 
regime, was Minister of Refugees during the interim 
Administration, said to be reintroduced by Fahim. 
Yea: 92 
Nay: 133 
Abstain/blank/spoiled: 19 
 
Rejected 
Ministry of Urban Development 
H.E. Engineer Yousef Pashtun 
Pashtun from Kandahar, has been Minister of Urban 
Reconstruction since 2004, he was reintroduced again in 
2005, but - like Sangeen - only just received the vote of 
confidence in the midst of confusion over what constituted 
a simple majority. 
Yea: 88 
Nay: 127 
Abstain/blank/spoiled: 16 
 
Minister of Literacy (New Ministry, not yet approved by 
Parliament) 
H.E. Wazhma Zurmati 
Pashtun from Paktia.  The Parliament will discuss whether 
they approve of the establishment of the new Ministry of 
Literacy before voting on her candidacy.  New established 
Ministry, structure is not approved by Parliament yet. 
 
Minister of Martyrs and Disabled (new ministry, not yet 
approved by Parliament) 
H.E. Taj Ali Saber 
Pashtun from Khost, studied Political Science in Nangarhar, 
lecturer at Khost University, was until recently a member 
of the Khost provincial council. 
 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
No nominee yet. 
 
Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs 
Eliminated by Karzai. 
 
 
RICCIARDONE