KABUL, Afghanistan, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Fresh from his win in Afghanistan's first presidential election, Hamid Karzai Thursday named his new cabinet that excludes Defense Minister Mohammed Fahim.
Gen. Fahim is a veteran Tajik warlord whose Northern Alliance forces helped the U.S.-led campaign to drive the Taliban from power in 2001. He was replaced by his deputy, Abdul Rahim Wardak.
Karzai also did not include Yunus Qanuni, the runner-up in the October election, the BBC reported, adding the new team is being seen as a sign of how far Karzai is prepared to push reform.
Warlords or their allies were prominently represented in Karzai's interim administration preceding the election.
The new 26-member cabinet is a mixture of influential political or tribal figures, technocrats and three women, the report said. Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah retains his post in the new administration.
