KABUL (SW): The Wolesi Jirga (lower house) on Wednesday gave the vote of confidence to three ministers over the matter of budget utilization.
The ministers for Economy, Refugees and Repatriates, Public Health, and Information and Culture were summoned to state the reasons for not utilizing up to 70 of the annual development budget. The house voted over the fate of these ministers in their absence as none of the ministers appeared before the house.
Abdul Sattar Murad, Minister for Economy won 114 votes of confidence and 81 votes of no-confidence, Syed Hussain Aalimi, Minister for Refugees and Repatriates received 105 votes of confidence and 90 votes of no-confidence while Ferozudin Feroz, Minister for Public Health was given 170 votes of confidence and 28 votes of no-confidence.
Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi, speaker of the house, said on the occasion that the Minister for Refugees and Repatriates has sent a written reply in regard to the budget utilization. Ibrahimi added that the Abdul Bari Jahani, Minister for Information and Culture has already sent his resignation letter to the President but, the President has so far not approved it hence if the resignation of Abdul Bari Jahani is ultimately not approved the house would vote over his fate.
Meanwhile, Ramazan Bashar Dost, a member of the house, criticized the members for even granting the vote of confidence to those ministers who have failed to properly utilize up to 70 percent of their annual development budget. Calling for serious probe into this ‘dual-attitude’, Bashar Dost boycotted the proceedings of the house.
It is worth noticing that despite objections by the government, the Wolesi Jirga has expressed resolve to summon 17 ministers for the vote of confidence. The house has so far voted over 13 ministers 6 of whom managed to win the vote of confidence while 7 others have lost it.
ENDS
