Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Thursday, March 28th, 2024

Wolesi Jirga Quorum to Be Complete Soon: MPs

Wolesi Jirga  Quorum to Be  Complete Soon: MPs

KABUL - As Reformists said on Monday there would be no quorum problem in the Wolesi Jirga quorum, the Law-Supporting Coalition demanded the unseating of the nine lawmakers who were sworn in recently.
The lower house split into two groups soon after the special election tribunal, which probed allegations of fraud in last year's parliamentary poll, ruled that rigging had occurred in 33 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces.
The special court disqualified 62 of the 249 MPs, nearly a quarter of the lower house, on the basis of a vote recount.

On August 21, the Independent Election Commission (IEC) disqualified nine sitting MPs in favour of those previously certified as having lost the parliamentary election.

The Law-Supporting Coalition rejected the replacement of MPs, staging a series of protests in August. Since August 27, no Wolesi Jirga session could be successful due to the lack of quorum.

Although parliamentarians were present, they could not summon the officials concerned on any issue for lack of quorum, MP Jaffar Mehdawi, told Pajhwok Afghan News. He hoped the quorum would be completed on Wednesday.

"Parliament has done nothing over the past nine months due to interference from outsiders and differences among MPs," he said, without elaborating on the outsiders.

He said Law-Supporting Coalition members had promised to attend the session. To complete quorum, 187 legislators have to be in attendance.

On the other hand, Mohammad Naeem Lali Hamidzai, a member of the opposition coalition, said they would not attend any session unless the nine MPs unseated by IEC were reinstated.

Kamal Nasar Ausoli, a member of Parliament from southeastern Khost province, said that differences within the house were against the national interest.