KABUL (SW): The Lawyers Association of Afghanistan and representatives of the Integrity Watch Afghanistan on Tuesday told a press conference that the President has so far issued a number of decrees in violation of the Constitution.
Gul Mohammad, head of the LAA, said on the occasion that the President issued as many as 14 decrees two days before the annual leaves of the parliament were about to end. He underlined that the President is only allowed by the Constitution to issue decrees if they are urgent and not related to financial matters during holidays of the parliament. The lawyers’ association head charged the decrees issued by President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani were not related to urgent matters, and were related to financial matters as well.
He added that the President’s Decree no. 157 related to the officers of the army was also in violation of the Constitution. Representatives of the Lawyers Association of Afghanistan and representatives of the Integrity Watch Afghanistan warned if the President did not took such decrees back they would go ahead with protests.
When contacted, Shah Hussain Murtazawi, deputy spokesman for the President, informed Salam Watandar that the President has been granted the right by the Constitution to issue decrees while the parliament is on break.
This comes as the Wolesi Jirga (lower house of the parliament) has already crossed its own legal limit of five years three years ago, and is functioning in line with a Presidential decree till the much-awaited parliamentary elections are held.
ENDS
