The Hindu : International : Afghan Cabinet, minus some warlords, sworn in

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Saturday, Dec 25, 2004

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International

Afghan Cabinet, minus some warlords, sworn in

KABUL, DEC. 24. Afghanistan's Cabinet was sworn in today, sealing the ouster of some high-profile warlords from the Government, and the President, Hamid Karzai's spokesman said it reflected the leader's will to have educated people running the country.

The Defence Minister, Mohammed Fahim, a major Tajik strongman and the head of the northern alliance that helped the United States oust the Taliban in 2001, was sacked in the Cabinet shuffle and replaced by his deputy, Abdul Rahim Wardak, as part of a crackdown on warlords in the Government.

Southern warlord Gul Agha Sherzai was removed as Public Works Minister. Also dropped from the Cabinet was Sayed Hussain Anwari, who controlled a private army in the north and had been Agriculture Minister.

The Ministers — 27 in all — were sworn in by Mr. Karzai during a closed ceremony at the presidential palace, said a spokesman. The event was not covered live on Afghan television, but Mr. Karzai was expected to make a statement later in the day.

The selections are Mr. Karzai's first major policy decision since his inauguration this month as Afghanistan's first democratically elected president.

The Afghan leader has pledged to bring more professionalism to his Government, and has embraced a constitutional decree that all Ministers be college-educated and that they give up citizenship in any other country.

``This is a comprehensive step that takes Afghanistan to a new era in which people come to the Cabinet because they are capable of serving the Afghan people and because they are educated,'' said Jawed Ludin, Mr. Karzai's chief spokesman.

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