Afghan cabinet announced
January 12, 2015
Afghanistan's unity government on Monday announced its first cabinet at a press conference in the capital, Kabul.
The news came 106 days after President Ashraf Ghani (pictured) had been sworn in.
The cabinet impasse lasted for more than 3 months because of a disagreement between Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah over the nominees for key ministries.
Ghani's chief of staff Abdul Salaam Rahimi read out a list of 25 cabinet nominees as well as the candidate for the governor of the central bank.
Rahimi said the list of names would be sent to parliament for confirmation.
New faces
There are mainly new faces in the line-up including three women.
Salahuddin Rabbani, the former head of the country's high peace council was nominated for foreign minister.
Military chief of staff Sher Mohammad Karimi was nominated for defense minister, and a former general, Noor-ur-Haq Ulomi, for interior minister.
Current intelligence chief Rahmatullah Nabil was nominated to keep his job.
The attorney general and supreme court chief justice positions are yet to be filled.
Ghani's government was criticized in recent weeks for repeatedly missing the deadline to form the cabinet.
lw/jm (AP, AFP, dpa)