Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani's attempts to build a new cabinet has suffered a major setback after Ghulam Jilani Popal, who was nominated as the finance minister, withdrew his name citing personal reasons.
However, an unnamed source said that Popal's decision to step aside stemmed from disagreements with the president over a number of unspecified issues, reported the BBC.
Many ministerial positions still remain vacant, four months after tense elections.
There are also concerns that 11 of those nominated to enter the cabinet of 25 may hold dual citizenship, which would disqualify them from holding the post under Afghan law.
Popal is likely to be replaced by Eklil Ahmad Hakimi, Afghanistan's current ambassador to the United States.