Afghan MPs insist on foreign minister's sacking

[maddezmom]

Source: Reuters

Reuters - 35 minutes agoKABUL (Reuters) - The Afghan lower house of parliament refuses to back away from its decision to remove the foreign minister, the chief of the house said on Monday, highlighting a growing divide between the president and parliament.

President Hamid Karzai is in a standoff over the fate of Western-educated Foreign Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta and the dispute is seen as a challenge to Karzai's leadership at a time of worsening violence and public disillusionment with his rule.

"Our decision is final...our stance is as before. Karzai has to introduce a new minister," the head of the lower house, Yunus Qanuni, told a news conference.

The lower house, made up of factional leaders, ex-communist officials, some former Taliban members and women rights activists, censured Spanta last month for failing to stop the expulsion of Afghan refugees from neighbouring Iran.

Faced with attacks by a resurgent Taliban and political pressure from some senior members of his own government, Karzai opposed Spanta's sacking and referred the case to the supreme court.

The court said the vote of no-confidence against Spanta had no basis because Iran's deportations were outside his control.



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