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Afghan province rejects Kabul nominee for governor
The local Shura, or council of elders, in the eastern afghan province of Paktia has rejected the interim administration`s candidate for governor and picked its own, a report said on Wednesday.
The local Shura, or council of elders, in the eastern afghan province of Paktia has rejected the interim administration's candidate for governor and picked its own, a report said on Wednesday.
A spokesman for the Shura said it would not accept interim leader Hamid Karzai's choice, tribal commander Padsha Khan, the Afghan Islamic Press news agency reported.
We have said that we will accept any nomination by the central government but not Padsha Khan, the Pakistan-based agency quoted the spokesman as saying.
The Shura had nominated its preferred candidate as Taj Mohammad Wardag, who was governor of northern Badakshan province during the rule of ex-king Zahir Shah, he said. But the spokesman said Khan was opposing the new nomination and the Kabul authorities had not been able to convince to accept the Shura's decision.
He said negotiations were underway between Khan's delegation and the interim administration and Wardag was also in Kabul.
Karzai was strongly critical of khan after the Pashtun tribal strongman tried to take up his post in Gardez by force two weeks ago, leading to bloody street fighting with the forces of a rival warlord.
One of Khan's brothers, Amanullah Khan Zadran, 40, was appointed border affairs minister at the Bonn Conference to decide the interim administration, while another, Kamal Khan, 32, was appointed by Karzai as governor of Khost province, which neighbours Paktia.
Bureau Report
We have said that we will accept any nomination by the central government but not Padsha Khan, the Pakistan-based agency quoted the spokesman as saying.
The Shura had nominated its preferred candidate as Taj Mohammad Wardag, who was governor of northern Badakshan province during the rule of ex-king Zahir Shah, he said. But the spokesman said Khan was opposing the new nomination and the Kabul authorities had not been able to convince to accept the Shura's decision.
He said negotiations were underway between Khan's delegation and the interim administration and Wardag was also in Kabul.
Karzai was strongly critical of khan after the Pashtun tribal strongman tried to take up his post in Gardez by force two weeks ago, leading to bloody street fighting with the forces of a rival warlord.
One of Khan's brothers, Amanullah Khan Zadran, 40, was appointed border affairs minister at the Bonn Conference to decide the interim administration, while another, Kamal Khan, 32, was appointed by Karzai as governor of Khost province, which neighbours Paktia.
Bureau Report