KABUL (SW) – Findings by Salam Watandar indicate that public representatives of 9 provinces did not return to their constituencies despite the parliamentary holidays.
The findings indicate Wolesi Jirga (lower house) members of 6 other provinces did return to their constituencies, but did not meet with the voters.
According to information gathered from officials and local sources in the provinces, out of 249 members of parliament, representatives from Faryab, Ghazni, Zabul, Kunduz, Baghlan, Samangan, Daikundi, Nuristan and Ghor provinces did not visit their provinces during the holidays. According to them, a number of these MPs have not met with the people since entering parliament.
The people of Faryab, who have the most complaints from their representatives, said that none of their nine members of parliament visited the province since the parliamentary elections.
Similarly, voters in Ghazni said none of their 11 members of parliament have come to the province to meet them and hear about their problems. They said the provinces is marred by many issues, but the MPs are not bothering.
The people in Ghor also complained about the absence of their representatives during the holidays in their province. They said the people of the province have sent six MPs to parliament, but they are on holidays with their families in Kabul.
Besides Ghor, the people of Zabul are also worried about the negligence of their representatives in parliament, saying that none of the three MPs care about them.
Kunduz is also one of these provinces where peoples’ representatives rarely visit during the holidays. The province has nine members in parliament, but Kunduzis said that the negligence of the MPs has led to surge in clashes here.
Kunduz governor’s spokesman, Esmatullah Moradi did not comment on the presence or absence of representatives of the people of the province during the holidays, but noted that before the holidays, two members of parliament and a senator came to the province to address people’s problems and meet with local officials.
In addition to Kunduz, people in Daikundi, Baghlan, Samangan and Nuristan provinces also complained about the absence of their representatives during the holidays in these provinces.
The findings showed that a number of representatives from Helmand, Herat, Kandahar, Uruzgan, Takhar and Jawzjan provinces traveled to their provinces, but did not meet with the locals.
Meanwhile, in Balkh, Badakhshan, Bamyan, Laghman, Kunar, Nangarhar, Logar, Sar-e-Pul, Paktia, Paktika and Khost the elected representatives met with people in the provincial capital as well as in districts during the holidays.
Salam Watandar wished to have the views of the Secretariat of the Wolesi Jirga on legal aspects of the matter, but the secretariat officials did not respond to repeated calls.
Legal expert Waheed Farzahi said in this regard that it was ethical for the MPs to attend meetings, meet with people and work for voters even during the holidays.
ENDS
