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Ministers' dismissal viewed as a sentimental decision

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KABUL: Some experts believe that Wolesi Jirga had made an emotional decision on dismissing interior and defence ministers through a no-confidence vote, but some others welcome the move.

The views were aired by participants of this week's radio and TV programme, "Your Voice", a joint initiative of the Killid media group and its partners -- Pajhwok Afghan News and Saba Media Organistaion -- within the newly-created Afghanistan Media Consortium.

Political analyst Babrak Shinwari acknowledged the ministers' failure to deal effectively with Afghanistan's security-related problems. However, he believed the no-confidence vote was a sentimental move on parliamentarians' part.

He said the ministers could not take any decision on cross-borders incursions and other issues between Afghanistan and Pakistan. President Hamid Karzai, being the supreme commander of the armed forces, was authorised to take such decisions, he explained.

Malalai Shinwari, a member of the Civil Society Coordination Centre, said: "The Wolesi Jirga should have summoned and grilled the foreign minister about the missile barrages.

The foreign minister should have been asked if the issue could be resolved diplomatically.''

She urged President Karzai should bring basic changes to the Council Ministers, according priority to the appointment of professional and skilled individuals.

A no-trust vote against a minister could not resolve our current problems, maintained the ex-MP.

But former member of the Academy of Sciences, Syed Akbar Folad, welcomed Wolesi the unseating of the ministers and said: "This action should have been taken much earlier.''

The interior minister could not deliver due to a lack of professionalism and the defence minister was failed by advanced age, he remarked.

"At a time when cross-border incursions were ongoing, the interior minister should have worked 18-20 hours a day to keep himself informed himself of the situation.

Unfortunately, he remained clueless and so were his deputies,'' Folad concluded.

End.