KABUL - The Wolesi Jirga (Lower House of Parliament) on Saturday rejected President Ashraf Ghani's recent decree to amend the law on caretaker officials.

With a majority of votes the MPs flatly refused to agree to the decree.

In his decree, Ghani had called for an exception to be made regarding the continuation of tenure of caretaker leaders within security institutions.

The majority of lawmakers however raised red cards rejecting the move to amend the law – the fifth presidential decree to be rejected by parliament in recent months.

The decree involved the security branches - the Ministries of Defense and Interior Affairs and the National Directorate of Security (NDS). Currently, the Defense Ministry is without a minister and is instead led by acting minister Masoom Stanekzai.

"Amendment to the caretaker law is rejected with a majority of votes," said Nazir Ahmad Ahmadzai, second secretary of Wolesi Jirga.

However at the beginning of the session, the decree sparked serious criticism from a number of MPs.

"We are against this amendment because the president wants the acting defense minister to stay on in his position and if so, the security situation will remain as it is," Faryab MP Bashir Ahmad Tayanj said.

This was the fifth presidential decree to be disapproved by the House of Representatives in recent months. Other rejected decrees included a draft law to impose tax on mobile phone recharge cards, amendment to customs laws and the decree to establish an economic advisory unit at the Presidential Palace. (Tolonews)