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KABUL (SW): Members of the Wolesi Jirga (lower house) on Saturday engaged in debate over Presidential decree in regard to electoral reforms.
After President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani’s first legislative decree on electoral reforms was rejected by the Wolesi Jirga a while ago, now for the second time, a decree has been directed to the house on the subject.
Pointing to President’s decree, a number of WJ members commenting on legal aspects of the matter and said that the time for issuing such decrees has now gone. Speaking on the occasion, MirBat Khan, a member to the house said that President should have sent the draft for amending the law and authority of the electoral bodies.
On the other hand, Dawood Kalakani, another MP, said that the President has rightly issued the legislative decree. Kalakani added that the decree was the only way to resolve the current challenges ahead of election. Kalakani called for including this topic in house’ agenda.
Speaking to Salam Watandar, Kabir Ranjbar, a political affairs’ analyst, said that the Wolesi Jirga is not authorized to discard President’s decree. He added that President is legally authorised to issue legislative decrees just before the parliament begins its work. Ranjbar stressed that the MPs are allowed either to pass or reject it, yet they are not accredited to dismiss the decrees issued by President.
Talking to Salam Watandar, Naim Ayub Zadah, the head to Transparent Election Foundation of Afghanistan (TEFA) said that election issue has now been deeply politicized and both the government and the Wolesi Jirga look reluctant to bring amendments in the election system.
In the meantime, Abdul Rauf Ibrahim, the Speaker of the Wolesi Jirga, tasked the Wolesi Jirga’s committee on legal affairs to review this newly issued decree.
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