KABUL - The National Unity Government (NUG) has issued 1,480 medals to officials from different government departments in the past two years.
According to the constitution, only the president has the authority to award a medal of this nature.
"It is the first time that medals are not given to political people, but are issued to people who have shown that they are competent and deserve a medal," said Shah Hussain Murtazawi, deputy spokesman of president.
However, Chief of Executive Officer (CEO) spokesperson, Mujib Rahman Rahimi said medals should not be issued to people based on their political relations.
"The CEO wants a discussion to be held before a medal is awarded in order to make sure they deserve it. Also medals should not be given to people based on political and tribal relations," Rahimi said.
Documents received by TOLOnews show that most of these 1,480 medals were issued to the Ministry of Defense (MoD), Ministry of Interior (MoI), and Ministry of Education (MoE), National Directorate of Security (NDS) and to the office of the first vice president.
Out of the 1,483 medals, 532 were issued to the MoD, 288 to the MoI, 125 to the NDS, 105 to the first vice president's office and 169 were distributed to staff at the MoE and the balance handed out to officials from other departments.
"When a general is supposed to receive a medal, then that general must have managed and have won a few battles," said Ghulam Hussain Nasiri, a member of parliament.
"When medals are being issued based on political relations, then they lose their national value," said Tahir Hashimi, a university lecturer.
However, medal recipients from years ago, said in the past the process was different.

"In the past receiving a medal was very difficult. Only the people who had accomplished extraordinary work had the chance to receive a medal," said Khalil Roman, who received a medal for good governance during the government of former president Mohammad Najibullah.  (Tolonews)