KABUL – Member of Wolesi Jirga (WJ), Lower House of Parliament, on Wednesday suggested two conditions, including graduation, for Wolesi Jirga (lower house) candidates should be added to the Election Law.

They proposed a Wolesi Jirga runner should either be a graduate or a member of the house for one term -- five years. Fifteen legislators demanded the addition of one sentence to Article 14 of the law.

Deputy Speaker Siddique Ahmad Osmani, who chaired the session, said they would consider the suggestion regarding the additional conditions for candidates.

Article 14 of the Election Law says a person who runs for or is appointed as a member of the National Assembly, shall be  an  Afghan  citizen  or  shall  have  obtained  the  citizenship  of  Afghanistan at least 10 years before the day of candidacy.

The candidate should not have been convicted of crimes against humanity and felony or deprived of civil rights by court. He/she should be 25 years old on the day of candidacy.

But a public representative from central Parwan province, Abdul Sattar Khawasi, said the Wolesi Jirga could not amend the law in the last year of its tenure.

Article 109 of the Constitution says: “Proposals for amendments to the electoral law cannot be included in the agenda of the assembly during the last year of the legislative period.”

The last year of the Wolesi Jirga’s term will commence on June 22.  Osmani said they had one month’s time to debate amendments to the law.

Finally, lawmakers agreed on including the issue in the agenda for the next session. It would be debated at the commission level and recommendations would be presented to the general session, Osmani said.

Having 16 chapters and 80 articles, the Electoral Law was endorsed by President Hamid Karzai on July 20 after its approval by parliament.

Also in today’s meeting, the lawmakers had urged government to take practical measures against cross-border attacks from Pakistani troops. If the government was unable to resolve the problem, people should be allowed to defend their motherland.

Second Deputy Speaker Mohammad Saleh Saljooqi said the government should bring clarity to its foreign policy and address the challenges and problems facing the country. (Pajhwok)