The Names of Members of the Afghan Transitional Government Cabinet Will Be Announced Today - 2002-06-19

Hamid Karzai, the President of Afghanistan, says he will announce the names of his cabinet members today, although there is still debate about whether the Loya Jirga, the grand council of Afghan elders, should approve the President's proposal. The announcement was originally scheduled for Tuesday, but Mr. Karzai stated that he needs more time to ensure that the cabinet ministers are both representative of all of Afghanistan and also professional and effective. Mr. Karzai's advisors claim that his cabinet does not need the approval of the Loya Jirga, but Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan, says that according to last year's Bonn Agreement, the Loya Jirga has the final say on the cabinet. In another development in Afghanistan on Tuesday, two rockets exploded near the U.S. Embassy in Kabul and around the venue of the Loya Jirga, although this location is under heavy security. Officials say that no one was harmed in these explosions and the damage was minimal. It is worth noting that the International Peacekeepers' base in Kabul was also close to the explosion sites. The peacekeepers had warned of potential violence during the Loya Jirga meeting.