Afghan President Balks at Shake-Up Bid
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KABUL, Afghanistan — President Burhanuddin Rabbani refused Saturday to accept an order by his main political rival to dismiss the year-old Islamic government and install a group of Cabinet ministers.
The dispute deepened the tensions among former rebel leaders at odds over the course of the nation following 13 years of civil war against the Soviet-backed government.
Prime Minister-designate Gulbuddin Hekmatyar abruptly dissolved the Cabinet on Friday, saying he had formed a new Islamic government with the eight rival and well-armed factions fighting for control of the Afghan capital.
He sent the list of new Cabinet nominees to the president, calling it a courtesy and arguing that Rabbani did not have the right to reject his choices.
But presidential spokesman Abdulaziz Murad insisted that Rabbani would have the final say in the Cabinet’s makeup, and most government ministers reported to work as usual on Saturday despite the order firing them.
“Mr. Hekmatyar is not in a position to dissolve the Cabinet,” Murad said. “A new one must be formed before the old one can be replaced.”
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