KABUL - The Cabinet on Monday instructed ministers disqualified by the lower house of parliament or Wolesi Jirga to remain in their jobs until a ruling in the matter from the Supreme Court (SC).
A statement from the Presidential Palace said President Ashraf Ghani, who presided over the Cabinet meeting, declared his full support for the three pillars of the state and said problems created with the lower house’s decisions needed to be clarified and resolved at the meeting.
Calling transparent accountability one of the unity government’s basic principles, the president said accountability was among each ministry’s fundamental jobs and in relationship to implementation of special programmes.
Referring to the judiciary’s constitutional powers, he requested the Supreme Court to assess the matter by considering the country’s current situation and 1394 solar year’s financial conditions.
The president said performance of ministers should be judged by keeping in view availability of financial resources, human capacity, restraints and facilities.
Sticking to its guns, the Wolesi Jirga on Monday disqualified the higher education minister, while the ministers of justice and urban development survived a no-confidence vote.
On November 9, the lower house decided to summon 17 ministers who spent less than 70 percent of their development budgets during the current solar year.
On Saturday, lawmakers sacked Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani, Labour and Social Affairs Minister Nasrin Oryakhel and Public Works Minister Mahmood Baligh.
Minister of Education Asadullah Hanif Balkhi and Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Mohammadullah Batash were voted out on Sunday. But Finance Minister Eklil Hakimi survived the vote of no-confidence.
Also on Sunday, the Presidential Palace requested the Wolesi Jirga to suspend the ministers’ summoning process, but the house spurned the request.
The house asked Higher Education Minister Farida Momand, Justice Minister Abdul Basir Anwar and Urban Development Minister Saadat Mansoor Naderi to appear before MPs today, but none attended the session.
President Ghani said most of the ministers started their work in the middle of current solar year at a time when the government was struggling with security, economic and political problems. He said the government had been successful in managing the three transitions --- security, economic and political.
“Afghanistan is going through a special phase and we have commitment with the international community that we will have effective gains and will present clear and transparent outcomes in return for the promised international aid, something that can be achieved in the presence of all Cabinet members.”
Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah affirmed the president’s remarks and said the parliamentary decision coincided with the country’s security, political and economic transition.
The CEO said they hoped the Supreme Court would evaluate the matter in line with the country’s current situation and in accordance with the Constitution.
Second vice-president Mohammad Sarwar Danish said the impeachment was a legal issue and that there was no clarification in the constitution about sacking a minister in absentia.
He said the problem in spending budget could not be blamed on an individual and they had to look first into problems in budgetary system, projects, type of work and procurement process in departments. (Pajhwok)