KABUL - Currently 11 ministries are headed by acting ministers. The government has introduced eight nominees to replace as many acting ministers for a vote of confidence to the lower house.
On May 15, the Wolesi Jirga announced that it would not vote for a few ministries-designate until all were introduced.
Some lawmakers remained stuck to their stance of not voting for only a few ministerial slots on Wednesday.
Qais Hassan, a lawmaker from Kabul, said: “If it needs pressure, we do not command military forces to press the government, it would be better to decide if all vacant Cabinet posts are filled.”
“Lawmakers did their job for seven years with indignity and surrendered to orders, but they should no longer or at least in their last year accept more orders and engage in pragmatism,” he said.
However, Daud Kalakani, a lawmaker from Kabul, said delaying the voting process for ministers-designate was against the law.
He said the lower house should start reviewing documents of the eight ministers-designate and set the government a deadline to introduce the remaining candidates.
A number of lawmakers agreed with Kalakani.
Speaker Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi said adding the eight ministers-designate to the house’s agenda was not against the law.
He ordered the house higher education and internal audit commission to review documents of the eight candidates and then add them to agenda.
Hameed Tahmasi has been nominated for the ministry of transport, Mohammad Shafiq Gul Agha Sherzai for the ministry of border and tribal affairs, Tariq Shah Bahrami for defense, Abdul Latif Roshan for higher education, Faizullah Zaki for ‘labor, social affairs, martyrs and disabled’ and Nargis Nehan for mines and petroleum.
Wais Ahmad Barmak has been nominated to head the ministry of interior, Shahzad Gul Aryubi the ministry of telecommunication and information technology and Yama Yari  public works ministry.
The Wolesi Jirga speaker said: “We have several times told the government to introduce ministers-designate to the lower house, we once again call on the government leaders to introduce their candidates for the rest of the vacant Cabinet posts.”
Ibrahimi said serving in acting capacity beyond two months was against the law and the government should no longer violate it. (Pajhwok)