The UN Assistance Mission for Afghanistan (UNAMA) respects the Afghan Parliament's constitutional role in the approval for Cabinet choices, but warns that with many Cabinet choices being rejected, there will be a delay in a "functioning cabinet," a UN spokesman said on Monday.
"The UN Mission respects the Afghan Parliament's constitutional role in approving the Cabinet choices and hopes that President Hamid Karzai will work closely with Parliament to approve his choice for the remaining Cabinet positions swiftly," Martin Nesirky said.
"The UN Assistance Mission for Afghanistan in remarks at a press briefing today, declared that it was encouraged that many of the reform-oriented ministers in the Afghan Cabinet, for agriculture, finance, defense and the interior, were approved," Nesirky told reporters at the UN Headquarters in New York.
With "many others" rejected, Nesirky said the Mission noted that "this will delay the formation of a functioning Cabinet."
During the weekend, the lower house of the Afghan parliament Saturday through secret balloting rejected 17 out of the 24 ministerial nominees
picked by President Karzai to form a new cabinet.