KABUL (PAN): Afghan Parliament rejected 17 Karzai's nominees, two-third, of the total 24 for cabinet posts in voting that stretched into Saturday evening to finally form a government. The Wolesi Jirga rejected seventeen picks that also included a powerful warlord Ismail Khan for the portfolio of energy and approved the appointments of only 7 nominees. Many of Karzai's nominees this week were incumbents who had the support of his backers in the international community, and parliament's approval of their appointment had been considered to be an almost foregone conclusion. Parliamentarians, some in suit and tie, some wearing traditional Afghan turbans, divided the yellow ballot papers into 'approved' and 'rejected' piles. Each ministerial nominee must receive a vote of confidence from parliament before being confirmed in the post. Saturday's session was attended by 232 out of the 239 MPs. According to the law 50+1 (117) votes could lead to a victory for a nominee. The Wolesi Jirga devised a new process for the voting to ensure transparency this time. Under the new process, 25 booklets showed the names of the ministers-designate. At the end of each booklet, there were vacant spaces where the Wolesi Jirga members had to mark with a tick whether they approve a minister or not. Speaker of the Wolesi Jirga told the parliamentarians before the launch of the voting that if both the spaces were left vacant, or both were marked with a tick, the vote would be declared null and void. Two ballot boxes were placed at a corner of the Jirga hall to avoid rush during the voting process. After voting round completed, secretaries of the house and their deputies started counting in the presence of Parliamentary affairs ministry's officials and speaker of the house, Yunus Qanuni announced the results. Those rejected included nominees for the justice, higher education, economy, communications, hajj and religious affairs, refugees and returnees, public works, commerce and industry, public health, counter-narcotics, border and tribal affairs, transport and civil aviation, rural rehabilitation and development, labour, social affairs, disabled and martyrs, women affairs and urban development portfolios. Nominees for the portfolios of education, interior, defence, finance, agriculture, mines and culture were approved Yunus Qanuni, speaker of the Lower House, announced results of the voting. According to the announcement the successful ministers include: Abdul Rahim Wardak, defence minister, who secured 124 ayes and 100 nays, and 8 abstentions. Mohammad Hanif Atmar, interior minister with 147 ayes, 77 nays and the rest invalid. Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal, finance minister, with 141 ayes, 84 nays, and 6 abstentions. Dr Ghulam Farooq Wardak, education minister, with 155 ayes, 73 nays, and 3 abstentions. Dr. Sayed Makhdoom Raheen, information and culture minister, with 120 ayes, 93 nays, 4 invalid and 14 abstentions votes. Mohammad Asif Rahimi, agriculture, livestock and irrigation minister with 136 ayes, 89 nays, 2 invalid and 3 abstentions, with two votes went disappeared. Wahidullah Shahrani mines minister with 140 ayes, 78 nays, one invalid and 13 abstentions. Those rejected include: Dr Obaidullah Obaid, nominee for the slot of higher education portfolio who received 121 nays, 94 ayes, 5 invalid and 12 abstentions. Enayatullah Baligh, Hajj and Islamic affairs, got 115 nays, 108 ayes, 2 invalid and six abstentions Mohammad Ismael, Water and Energy, got 109 nays, 111 ayes, 5 invalid and 5 abstentions. Mirza Hussain Abullahi, Minister of Public Welfare, 179 nays, 33 in favor, two invalid and 17 abstention votes were cast for him. Syed Mohammad Amin Fatimi, minister-designate for public health portfolio received 102 in favor, 120 against, three invalid and five abstentions with two votes disappeared. Anwarul Haq Ahadi, minister of economy got 91 in favor, 103 against, three invalid and seven abstentions with one vote still missing. Amirzai Sangin, Communications Minister, unsuccessful at 130 nays, 92 ayes, one invalid, and 8 abstentions. Eng Owais Ahmad Barmak, rural rehabilitation and development with 90 ayes, 127 nays, 4 invalid and 9 votes and 2 missing. Ghulam Muhammad Eeilaqi, Commerce Minister with 76 ayes, 138 nays, 4 invalid, 13 abstentions and one missing. Mohammad Ismail Monshi, Minister of Labour, Social Affairs and Disabled with 39 ayes, 176 nays, 2 invalid, 14 abstentions and one missing. Dr. Mohammadullah Batash, Minister of Transport and Aviation received 82 ayes, 138 nays, 3 invalid and 10 abstentions. Hosn Bano Ghazanfar, Minister of Women's Affairs with 115 ayes, 108 nays, 1 invalid and 8 abstention. Sayed Hamed Gilani, Minister of Border and Tribal Affairs with 70 ayes, 149 nays, 2 invalid and 11 abstention. The house stayed open for two extra hours to finish voting for the ministers through a secret ballot process that began early in the morning. In Saturday's session, 232 of the 239 members were present. Every minister-designate has to gain 117 votes. Enayatullah Nazari, Minister of Refugees and Returnees with 82 ayes, 133 nays, 3 invalid, 11 abstentions and three went missing. General Khodaidad, Minister of Counter-Narcotics with 36 ayes, 176 nays, 3 invalid, 17 abstentions and one missing. And finally Engineer Mohammad Yousuf Pashtun with 88 ayes, 127 nays, 1 invalid, 15 abstentions and one went missing. Karzai's nominations for cabinet keep many key ministers unchanged but he has not nominated anyone for the post of foreign minister‏.‏ ss/ma