Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

Unseated MPs Not Allowed to Parliament

Unseated MPs Not  Allowed to Parliament

This is a military coup against the parliament: Behzad

KABUL - Hundreds of security forces have surrounded the parliament compound to forcefully replace nine MPs who were unseated by the electoral body last month.
The military move apparently comes after President Hamid Karzai failed to end up with a political deal with the majority-members of the parliament who oppose any changes in the house.
The lower house has been split over the dispute as around forty members have welcomed the change and escorted seven of the nine newcomers to the house Saturday morning while dozen others gather at the front gate and vow not to enter building without the unseated MPs.

"This is a military coup against the parliament," said Ahmad Behzad, deputy speaker of the Lower House.
"We cannot allow the President to bring this change in the lower house."

The row over last year's parliamentary election between the executive and legislative branches of the government has reached its peak as the reshuffling required to be implemented with the force of gun.
The palace has not made any comment nor had made any prior announcement that such a move would take place on the first working day of the lower house after Eid holidays.

Last year's parliamentary election has been one of the most disputed ones in the post-Taliban Afghanistan.
After more than eight months of arguments, the President authorized the Independent Election Commission (IEC) to make the final decision.

The IEC then replaced nine of the parliamentarians and the president supported the decision.

The row within the government will further destabilize the situation, said MP Rahim Ayubi, who supports the change, calling an end to the disagreement a national interest.

Afghan analysts question whether the two branches of the government can work together in a situation that half of the cabinet still needs the house's approval.