TALIBAN GOVERNMENT. SPANTA IS A WESTERN-EDUCATED DEMOCRAT WHO RETURNED TO AFGHANISTAN AFTER TWO DECADES OF EXILE IN GERMANY. BEFORE BEING NOMINATED, SPANTA WAS WORKING AS A SENIOR ADVISER TO KARZAI ON INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. OUT OF 245 VOTES, SPANTA RECEIVED 150. SEVENTY-FIVE MPS VOTED AGAINST HIM, 20 OTHER VOTES WERE ANNOUNCED INVALID, WHILE THREE MPS WERE ABSENT. --More 2336 Local Time 2036 GMT