Karzai: New Afghan cabinet will be accountable

Afghan President Hamid Karzai today told critics that his proposed new cabinet would not just be business as usual and that he and the ministers would tackle the country’s problems.

When Karzai’s nominees for the Cabinet were presented, many MPs complained both that he was keeping ministers who had performed badly and that he was appointing new faces who may be in the pocket of warlords and regional power brokers.

But Karzai told a news conference with Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme today: “They will be accountable and I will be accountable for removing the problems.”

He also said he aimed to appoint more women to the Cabinet.