KABUL (SW) – The two candidates for the Wolesi Jirga (lower house) speakership on Monday failed to win the polls dragging the matter to the third round.
In today’s vote, a total of 229 voters cast their votes on the fate of a disputed vote. Out of them, 120 members voted against and 90 members voted in support of Mir Rehman Rehmani, which meant he failed to secure the speakership. Up to 16 votes were considered nullified and three were blank.
The lingering differences over election of the speaker turned violent at the Wolesi Jirga last week with MPs throwing chairs around. These differences erupted when Mir Rehman Rehmani and Kamal Nasir Osoli made it to the second round of voting for the chairmanship over a month ago. The interim chairman of the house, Atta Mohammad Dehqanpur named Rehmani as the winner, but a number of protesting MPs claimed Rehmani has failed to secure the minimum legal requirement of 50 per cent plus 1 vote.
In today’s session, the MPs selected Malak Qais Aagha as interim speaker of the house. The house would vote for the speaker on Tuesday.
ENDS
