KABUL - President Karzai appointed Muhammad Omer Daudzai, the former Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan, as the new acting Interior Minister on Sunday. Mr. Daudzai replaces Ghulam Mujtaba Patang, who was impeached in July this year by the Lower House on account of his inability to address the nation's security issues.
With less than seven months remaining before the elections on April 5, the latest appointment of long time the long time confident of President Karzai is sure to throw him into the spotlight for the Presidential race. Daudzai previously served as President Karzai's Chief of Staff, Ambassador to Iran and most recently Pakistan.
The Lower House voted to dismiss Mr. Patang, the many Mr. Daudzai would be replacing, in late July, citing his inability to tackle the worsening security situation in the country.
Once the Parliamentary session begins, Mr. Daudzai will have to pass the "Vote of Confidence" process in order to take charge of the Ministry. There is no guarantee that he will emerge from the process unscathed either, as a number of MPs responded to news of the nomination with reservations. Some casted doubt on the ability of a diplomat to handle the daily affairs of the Ministry of Interior (MoI), while others took aim at the integrity of the appointment all together.
"The appointment of Mr. Daudzai as the acting Minister of Interior is a political maneuver," said MP Shukria Barekzai. "It could be a plan to postpone the elections or prepare a platform to support some specific candidates for the upcoming elections."
However, legally, Mr. Daudzai himself is not allowed to run in the Presidential election next spring if he is confirmed as acting Minister. Therefore approval by Parliament would put to rest speculations about him being a frontrunner for the Presidency that have been widely circulated.
President Karzai's announcement of Mr. Daudzai's appointment came with a flurry of other such announcements. On Saturday Rahmatullah Nabil was appointed acting head of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) and on Sunday Muhammad Ayoub Salangi, former Chief of Kabul Police, was appointed as the Deputy Chief of Security for the MoI.
(Tolo News)