KABUL - The Wolesi Jirga or lower house of parliament on Wednesday failed to introduce members for a joint parliamentary commission to be tasked with deciding the fate of the president’s legislative decree on electoral reforms.
Election reforms are a key point of the unity government agreement between then presidential runners Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah. The president had issued two legislative decrees in this regard, but the Wolesi Jirga rejected them both.
The first decree was thrown out by the Meshrano Jirga too, but the upper house approved the second decree last month. Due to differences over approval of the decree by the Senate, the issue was referred to a joint parliamentary team.
Article 100 of the Constitution says: “If one house rejects decisions of the other, a joint commission comprised of an equal number of members from each shall be formed to resolve the differences. The decision of the commission, after endorsement by the president, shall be enforced.”
“If the joint commission does not solve the differences, the decision shall be considered rejected. In such a situation, the House of People shall pass it with two-thirds majority in its next session. This decision, without submission to the House of Elders, shall be promulgated once endorsed by the president,” the article adds.
The Meshrano Jirga or upper house was able to elect its seven members for the team, choosing senators Hasibullah Kalimzai, Maulvi Mohiuddin Munsif, Mohammad Hassan Hotak, Farhad Sakhi, Aziz Musleh, Anarkali Hunaryar and Seddiqa Balkhi.
But the Wolesi Jirga, which was expected to introduce its members for the team today, failed to do so.
Kamal Nasar Usoli, Asifa Shadab, Fawzia Kufi, Qazi Nazir Ahmad Hanafi, Hili Arshad, Sadeqizada Nili, Mirdad Khan Nijrabi, Saleh Mohammad Saljoqi, Abdul Qadir Zazai and Sharifi Balkhabi have been introduced to the house’s administrative as nominees for membership of the joint parliamentary team.
However, all the nominees were rejected by a majority of the lawmakers and the relevant commission was tasked again to introduce other nominees for the team’s membership.
The lower house legislative affairs commission introduced Abdul Sattar Khawasi, Najia Babakrkhel, Zamarak Padkhwabi, Qudratullah Zaki, Rahman Rahmani, Hafiz Mansoor, Musa Nasrat, Sayed Mohammad Akhundzada, Sarwar Faiz and Masuma Khawar as new nominees, but they too were rejected.
After long discussions, Wolesi Jirga speaker Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi announced that the house would take a decision on the matter in Saturday’s session.(Pajhwok)