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| Karzai in second cabinet setback | Karzai in second cabinet setback |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| The Afghan parliament has rejected 10 of 17 new cabinet nominees suggested by President Hamid Karzai. | The Afghan parliament has rejected 10 of 17 new cabinet nominees suggested by President Hamid Karzai. |
| The vote comes two weeks after MPs turned down most of Mr Karzai's first choices, dealing him a serious blow. | The vote comes two weeks after MPs turned down most of Mr Karzai's first choices, dealing him a serious blow. |
| Two key posts were approved - Mr Karzai's former security adviser Zalmay Rasul as foreign minister and Habibullah Ghalib as justice minister. | |
| However, MPs backed only one of the three women nominees, Amina Afzali, as work and social affairs minister. | |
| The two women put forward for the posts of public health and women's affairs were rejected. | The two women put forward for the posts of public health and women's affairs were rejected. |
| The BBC's Mark Dummett, in Kabul, says Mr Karzai had hoped to have his new cabinet in place before a crucial donor conference in London on 28 January, but that now appears impossible. | |
| However despite the setback, the president now has 14 of 24 ministers confirmed including the most powerful ones in charge of foreign, defence and interior ministries, our correspondent adds. | |
| It is not yet clear when the president will propose names to fill the vacant positions and when Parliament will vote for these candidates. | |
| After the first vote on 2 January, Mr Karzai ordered MPs to cancel their winter break to speed up progress towards getting a functioning government in place. | After the first vote on 2 January, Mr Karzai ordered MPs to cancel their winter break to speed up progress towards getting a functioning government in place. |
| The rejection of 17 of Mr Karzai's 24 original choices was seen as a blow to his authority, already damaged after an election marred by fraud in August. | The rejection of 17 of Mr Karzai's 24 original choices was seen as a blow to his authority, already damaged after an election marred by fraud in August. |
| The new list included none of the previously rejected nominees. | The new list included none of the previously rejected nominees. |
| MPs spent the last week questioning the new candidates ahead of Saturday's vote, which was carried out by secret ballot. | MPs spent the last week questioning the new candidates ahead of Saturday's vote, which was carried out by secret ballot. |
| Some had complained that candidates were not suitably qualified or that others were too closely aligned to warlords. | |
| Mr Karzai faces strong international pressure to create a government that can oversee reforms. | Mr Karzai faces strong international pressure to create a government that can oversee reforms. |
| The UN has said international funding for Afghanistan's parliamentary elections this year will depend on reform of the country's election institutions. | The UN has said international funding for Afghanistan's parliamentary elections this year will depend on reform of the country's election institutions. |
| Mr Karzai is also under pressure to form a government before a crucial donor conference in London on 28 January. | Mr Karzai is also under pressure to form a government before a crucial donor conference in London on 28 January. |