KABUL - The Meshrano Jirga on Saturday approved another 20 articles of the new election law, but rejected a lower house-amended provision on district and village council elections. Instead the Senate adopted a government version.

In its previous two sessions, the upper house approved 30 clauses of the amended electoral law and gave its consent to another 20 provisions on Saturday. The law has 16 chapters and 79 articles.

A member of the Judicial Commission, Mohammad Hassan Hotak, told Pajhwok Afghan News the upper house had overruled the Wolesi Jirga decision on reserving 25 percent of district and village council seats for women.

“We instead approved the real content that came from the government,” he explained. Last week, the lower house decided that 25 percent of seats should be reserved for women in the provincial council.

Hotak said the Meshrano Jirga bought no other changes to the law. The Lower House has said women like men should contest provincial, district and village council elections as independent candidates.

Chairman Fazl Hadi Muslimyar said the remaining articles of the law would be approved during Sunday’s session. (Pajhwok)