KABUL - Members of the Reformists' Coalition in the Wolesi Jirga on Saturday left the Lower House session after the Law-Supporting Coalition branded the nine newly introduced lawmakers as illegitimate. Of 249 members in the house, 104 are from the Law-Supporting Coalition, 106 are from Reformist's Coalition, 38 are independent and one was killed in a Taliban attack in Kabul.
The Law-Supporting Coalition had been boycotting the Wolesi Jirga since September 4 after nine of its members were disqualified in line with the Independent Election Commission's ('IEC) decision.

The Coalition announced on Oct. 5 that they would attend house sessions and campaign within Parliament for achieving their goals.

Abdul Zahir Qadir, the Coalition head, told journalists on Wednesday that their boycott would end on Saturday, adding his collation would go all out to have the unseated members reinstated and prevent violations of the law.

Shakiba Hashimi, a female member of the Coalition, read out her parliamentary group's resolution, saying they did not accept the nine new lawmakers recently introduced to the chamber by the IEC and labeled their presence in Parliament as illegal.

The Reformists soon walked out of the session in protest after the resolution was read.

Nasima Niazi, a member of the Reformists' Coalition, told Pajhwok Afghan News they did not have any problem with the Law-Supporting Coalition, but they wanted the depute about the nine new lawmakers stopped.

They would attend the general session of the Wolesi Jirga on Wednesday, she said.