Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Thursday, March 28th, 2024

MPs Demand Action Against ICOIC Members

MPs Demand Action Against ICOIC Members

KABUL - The Wolesi Jirga on Monday said it would make a decision soon about members of the Independent Commission for Overseeing the Implementation of the Constitution (ICOIC) who were refusing to appear before the lower house of parliament.
The ICOIC members were summoned to appear before the Wolesi Jirga on Saturday last for giving their opinions about the president’s third legislative decree on electoral reform, but they did not attend the house’s session.
After the rejection of the two presidential decrees on election reform by the assembly, the ICOIC advised the president to go ahead with the 3rd decree circumventing the lower house which could be dissolved anytime ahead of the parliamentary elections.
The Wolesi Jirga’s five-year term expired on June 22, 2015, but the president extended its term until fresh elections are held.
On August 23, the Cabinet approved in principle a draft election law, underlining the imperative of a single-seat system at polling stations for the upcoming Wolesi Jirga polls.
Qudratullah Sahak, a lawmaker from Kabul in his remarks about ICOIC members not appearing before the house said that all government organs were answerable to the nation and they could not refuse giving explanation to the people.
Nader Shah Bahr, a lawmaker from Ghor province, also stressed taking necessary action against ICOIC members and said: “No budget should be allocated to this organ for next year so its members are obliged to leave their duties.”
He asked the house administration board to take action against ICOIC members who brought under question the independence and position of the parliament.
Several other lawmakers also demanded action against the ICOIC members.
However, Wolesi Jirga Speaker Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi said the ICOIC members had met the house’s administrative board on Sunday and explained their position, but the house could only decide about them once the required quorum was complete. (Pajhwok)