Afghan President Hamid Karzai held his first Cabinet meeting on Monday, urging his ministers to avoid political intrigue and work together for the future of this country. The president said he would support the creation of an opposition. Karzai also stressed transparency and accountability, saying all Cabinet ministers must make public their personal holdings in order to guard against corruption. The president stressed improvements to the economy, education and security as goals of his government, and said he would dispatch ministers to every province in the far-flung country so that the people got to know them. "I want a Cabinet that is at the service of the people, and which participates in the reconstruction of the country," said Karzai, who was sworn in earlier this month as Afghanistan's first democratically-elected president. Karzai, who recently declared a "holy war" against drug trafficking, said fighting the trade would be a hallmark of his administration. "We don't want to be known in the world as drug traffickers," Karzai said. Karzai gave the ministers a week to report back to him on their long and short term plans. "Security and prosperity is the basis of our work," Karzai said. "We have a big responsibility on our shoulders and we must fulfill the promises we have made to our people."
