Latest rumours about still open ministries
posted: 22-06-2010 / by: Gran Hewad and Thomas Ruttig
As AAN has reported recently, there are still 13 vacancies in the Afghan cabinet. For the next days, at least some proposals from the President are expected by the parliament. The following list of possibly included candidates has been published by an Afghan website, claiming that it is based on ‘reliable reports from the presidential palace’. Although AAN cannot guarantee the correctness of this information, we find it interesting enough to share it with our readers. The information has been edited by Thomas Ruttig and Gran Hewad, with the help of Khabarha-ye Sar-e Chowk (1).
Here the list published by www.afghanpaper.com, a Dari-language website frequented by many Afghans:
Minister of Interior: General Bismillah Mohammadi
Currently chief of the army staff (loy drastiz), previously linked to Shura-ye Nazar, from Panjsher, said to have higher education from Jamiat University. Other rumours have it that he is not enthusiastic about changing his position. In that case, Ismail Khan or Ustad Muhammad Atta might be alternative candidates.
Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation: Din Muhammad Mubarez Rashidi
Deputy Minister of Culture and Information since 2006, apparently proposed by Hezb-e Mardom-e Wahdat led by Muhammad Mohaqqeq. This party was frequently given the right to nominate a candidate for this cabinet post, like previous incumbents Enayatullah Qasemi and Nematullah Ehsan Jawed and the last but rejected candidate for the post, Muhammadullah Batash (now in the list for Commerce and Industry). Rashidi has higher (religious) education from Qom (Iran).
Minister of Higher Education: Sarwar Danish
Currently already acting minister for this portfolio. Born in 1961, a Hazara from Daykundi province. He studied law and Islamic education in Qom (Iran), was member of the Constitutional Commission in 2004, the first post-Taleban governor of Daykundi and Minister of Justice from 2004 to 2009. Close to Hezb-e Wahdat (Khalili).
Minister of Public Health: Dr. Obaidullah Obaid
He already was candidate for the Ministry of Higher Education in the second cabinet list submitted by the President but also rejected. Born around 1970, a Tajik from Kabul. He was Presidential Adviser on Social Affairs and Chancellor of the Medical University (former Medical Institute of Kabul University). Said to be close to the Hezb-e Islami faction led by Minister Advisor Wahidullah Sabawun. Apparently created some confusion by giving different dates of birth in his documents.
Minister for Public Works: Eng. Abdul Quddus Hamidi
Currently Deputy Minister of Mines, was proposed as Minister of Telecommunication in the second Karzai list in February 2010 but rejected. Born in 1956 in Jauzjan province, an Uzbek with higher education in chemistry technology at the Polytechnic Institute (now University) Kabul.
Minister of Commerce and Industry: Dr. Enayatullah Batash (that seems to be partly incorrect, his first name is in fact Muhammadullah)
Currently acting Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation. Born in 1961, an Uzbek from Kunduz province, studied in the Soviet Union. He was the Dean of the Journalism Faculty of Kabul University in the 1980s, adviser to the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs from 2005 to 2008 and is an adviser to IDLG since 2008. Furthermore, he is a member of the Special Advisory Board on Senior Appointments. On the political side, he was secretary of the Jombesh’s General Council from 2003 to 2005.
Minister of Tribes and Border Affairs: Mu’in Mrastyal
A Pashtun and MP from Kunduz province. He was a crucial member of President Karzai’s election campaign team in 2009. Lived in Australia for a while.
Minister for Refugees: Abdul Malik Seddiqi
Also a Pashtun, was Deputy Minister (for administrative affairs) of Interior and then deputy head of IDLG, also for admin affairs.
Still missing (at least in this list) are candidates for the ministries of water and power (this is Ismail Khan's previous portfolio), urban development, women’s affairs and telecommunication. There is also a vacancy at the top of the NDS, in the rank of a minister. Acting head Eng. Ibrahim (Spinzada), former Ghazni and Kandahar governor Assadullah Khaled, former NDS head Eng. Aref Sarwari (currently in the Senate) and Atiqullah Baryalai, formerly deputy minister of defence are amongst the candidates discussed in the chowk.
(1) Khabarha-ye Sar-e Chowk is a local expression for bazaar rumours. See Lyse Doucet’s article on the issue (‘The place to take the Afghan pulse’, BBC 12 November 2009) here.