KABUL (SW): The Wolesi Jirga (lower house) continued its drive to grill the ministers over budgetary issues with two ministers surviving the vote of confidence on Monday and one failing to do so.
The house voted over Mansour Sadat Naderi, Minister for Urban Development Affairs, Abdul Basir Anwar, Minister of Justice and Fareeda Momand, Minister for Higher Education. Naderi secured 135 votes in his favor and only 59 against him while Anwar bagged 95 votes in favor and 101 against him. Both managed to survive but Momand was deprived of the ministry with a no-confidence vote with 131 votes against her and just 63 in her support.
None of the ministers were present during the voting. A letter from the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs however, was read out in the house with details of budget spending by these ministers.
Taking part in the debate, some members of the house suggested that the voting spree should be halted for some days as the Arg (Presidential Palace) has sought to resolve the matter via dialogue with the representatives of the parliament. Some other members however, pronounced the ongoing voting process as legal and insisted upon continuing it.
The WJ has expressed resolve to make 17 minister pass through this voting process. So far, the house has voted for the fate of nine ministers with three managing to earn the vote of confidence while six ministers have failed in this regard. A three-point criterion has been adapted for this voting process which judges the performance of the ministers in regard to utilization of the development budgets, approval of the budget by the house and other violations in regard to the budget spending.
The Arg has said it has been shaken by the unseating of ministers by the Wolesi Jirga at a crucial juncture in time, and would sought the Supreme Court’s advice in this matter.
ENDS
