All but a female nominated ministers win vote of confidence

KABUL (SW): The Wolesi Jirga (lower house) on Sunday endorsed all 11 but one female nominated ministers after hearing future plans of them.

After the votes of confidence were counted for the fielded nominated ministers, it emerged Nargis Nehan, nominated minister for the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum failed to earn the confidence of the MPs.

Meanwhile, Tariq Shah Bahrami was endorsed as the Minister for Defense, Wais Ahmad Barmak as Minister for Interior, Gul Agha Sherzai as Minister for Borders and Tribal Affairs, Naseer Ahmad Durrani as Minister for Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Mujibur Rehmani Karimi as Minister for Rural Development and Rehabilitation, Shahzad Gul Aryubi as the Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Mustafa Mastoor as Minister for Economy, Mohammad Hameed Tahmasi as Minister for Transport, Najibullah Khuwaja Umari as Minister for Higher Education, Faizullah Zaki as Minister for Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled, and Yama Yari as Minister for Public Works.

Announcing the results, Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi, speaker of the house, congratulated the nominated ministers for receiving the votes of confidence, and urged upon the government to introduce the remaining nominated ministers for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Information and Culture.

A number of female members of the house criticized their male colleagues for discrimination towards the female nominee for the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum. Narig Nehan only won 107 votes in her favor out of a total of 224 MPs present in the house today. MP Rangeena Kargar said this has proved the Wolesi Jirga is an ‘anti-women’ body.

ENDS