Afghan anti-corruption body assails nepotism in government

KABUL – The Associated Press

Former President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai. AP Photo

An independent Afghan anti-corruption body says that nepotism plays a critical role in getting a job as a diplomat in the country’s Foreign Affairs Ministry.

In a report released on June 3, the Independent Joint Anti-Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Committee says favoritism and patronage often prevail over merit and ability in diplomatic appointments.

The committee’s executive director, Ahmad Rashed Behroz, says such practices undermine constitutional guarantees of equality for all Afghan citizens.

Behroz says officials and others with power prefer to appoint relatives to job openings. He says that last year, 48 candidates passed tests for jobs, but all were overlooked in favor of people who did not sit any test.

Afghanistan is regularly named as one of the world’s most corrupt countries by the watchdog Transparency International.