President Ashraf Ghani was once again criticized for new appointments to key government posts despite that the practice was banned by the Independent Directorate of Local Governance until upcoming presidential elections.
Ghani on Wednesday appointed Farhan Yusufzai as the new head of Afghanistan Cricket Board.
Moreover, sources said that the president appointed Walid Tamim, the former head of Afghanistan Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority, as new Afghan ambassador to India.
Sources told TOLOnews that names of over 60 individuals have been sent to President Ghani from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be appointed in Afghan diplomatic missions abroad.
Tamim has confirmed the appointment in a tweet but the Presidential Palace has not commented on the appointment.
According to the Attorney General’s Office (AGO), Tamim's corruption case is under assessment at the judicial body.
“His [Tamim's] case involves embezzlement which is under assessment at the Attorney General’s Office. Our colleagues are investigating the case and it will be completed in its legal limit and after the completion of the investigation, the findings will be shared with the people,” AGO spokesman Jamshid Rasuli said.
Tamim did not comment on the matter despite repeated attempts by TOLOnews reporter.
This move was criticized by a number of MPs and presidential candidates who talked to TOLOnews on Wednesday.
“Appointing those who have not been acquitted and have cases under assessment at the Attorney General’s Office is a mistake,” a lawmaker Saima Khogyani said.
“Anyone who is going to be appointed as an ambassador and has a case, the country to which he is supposed to be appointed as envoy sees him as a criminal,” said Khalilullah Shahidzada, a former MP.
A number of presidential candidates accused Ghani of violation of the law and campaign-based appointments.
“These people have earned millions of Afghanis. He [Ghani] has taken the money from them and they have promised to cooperate in elections. Their money is taken, their cases are kept and he [Ghani] appoint them as ambassadors,” presidential candidate Shahab Hakimi said.
“Anyone who works in Ghani’s favor is a good person even if he has a case. But anyone who does not work for him, he is a bad person even if he is good,” presidential candidate Ibrahim Alokozay said.
The Presidential Palace has rejected the accusations.
This comes after first vice-presidential candidate for Ghani’s campaign, Amrullah Saleh, at a gathering in Kabul on Tuesday announced that Ghani will stop any new appointments in government.
“The incumbent president who is also a candidate will avoid from any new appointment or dismissal in his favor or his team or for election campaign from the time this manifesto is published up to the announcement of the presidential elections results,” Saleh said.