Technocrats and some existing ministers will be included among President Hamid Karzai's new Afghan government within the next three weeks, a spokesman said today, despite pressure from the West for wholesale reform.
Mr Karzai, re-elected after a needless presidential run-off vote was abandoned on Monday, has received stern warnings from US president Barack Obama, British prime minister Gordon Brown and others in the West that he must work harder to root out corruption that tainted his previous administration.
The run-off, triggered after widespread fraud marred the first round in August, was cancelled after Mr Karzai's only rival, former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, withdrew citing serious concerns about the vote.
Dr Abdullah said today Afghanistan deserved a better administration than any which Mr Karzai was able to offer but urged his supporters to remain peaceful.
"My expectation from the people is to use constraint and behave on the basis of the rule of law and not resort to any illegal action for the fulfilment of their goals," Dr Abdullah told a news conference at his Kabul home.
The flawed electoral process has left Washington and Afghanistan's other Western supporters to work with a partner whose legitimacy has been questioned, while Mr Karzai himself faces an invigorated opposition under Dr Abdullah.
Monday's decision came after weeks of political uncertainty, while Mr Obama also weighs whether to send up to 40,000 more troops to fight a resurgent Taliban, who had threatened to disrupt the poll and branded Mr Karzai's return as a farce.
"The government the president has in mind is one that will have special places for experts, educated and professional people," Karzai spokesman Siyamak Herawi said. "It (next cabinet) will have new figures and some of the old ministers who have done well."
Reuters