KABUL - The House of Representatives received the list of 16 new cabinet nominees on Monday, after President Ashraf Ghani squeezed in the last minute announcement that he would form a complete government just before departing for the United States for his official visit last week.

According to lawmakers in Parliament, the educational and other background documents associated with the nominees have not yet been submitted. Their higher education degrees and citizenship documentation are likely to be put under the microscope once they are received, as falsified degrees and dual-citizenship have typically been the Achilles heel of cabinet nominees in the past.

"The list of cabinet nominees has been provided, but today we will discuss it and there is a chance that they might be included in the agenda for Saturday and be officially introduced," Second Deputy Muhammad Nazeer Ahmadzai said on Tuesday.

For the most part, lawmakers have responded positively toward the list of nominees, which will provide the last appointments needed to fill the remaining gaps in the national unity government. President Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah had been under growing pressure to name the remainder of their cabinet as soon as possible, with over six months passed since they took office.

Meanwhile, Khalil Ahmad Shaheedzada, the Deputy Chairman of Religious, Cultural and Higher Education, has said that the review of the nominees will begin once their qualifying and background documents are ready. "We are waiting for their education documents and ID cards to be submitted to us, so that we can start our work," Shaheedzada said. The Office of the State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs is responsible for gathering the documents.

Muhammad Nabi Farahi, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, says the documents will be ready for the lawmakers to review as soon as Wednesday. "Starting tomorrow, everything will be done from our end," Farhi said. "We have completed some of the educational documents today, and will end our work today and will send it tomorrow."

Nevertheless, the remaining gaps in the national unity government's cabinet, even with the 16 new nominations, continue to frustrate many. In particular, the lack of a new nominee for Minister of Defense has raised questions about security management around the country.

"Still, considering the fact that the nominee for the Ministry of Defense has not been introduced, a serious gap is felt and continued delay in the announcement of the nominee for the Ministry of Defense shows that the president still has not come to a final choice for this position," said Kabul MP Qayoum Sajadi. "In addition, earlier there were some reports the president is having a hard time choosing the nominee for the ministry." (Tolonews)