Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Tuesday, March 19th, 2024

MPs Reject President’s Decree on Population Law

MPs Reject President’s Decree on Population Law

KABUL - The Wolesi Jirga or lower house of parliament on Monday rejected a presidential legislative decree seeking amendment to the population registration law.
In March, 2013, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) shared a draft population registration law in seven chapters and 39 articles with the lower house, which approved the draft within a month.
However, many people around the country opposed the law and demanded addition of nationality and tribe in new computerized identity cards after the president approved the law in September 2014.
On March 2, 2016 following protests, the president approved amendment to Article sixth of the law about distribution of electronic ID cards. Based on the presidential decree, nationality and tribes would also be mentioned in identity cards.
Mirdad Khan Nijrabi, who heads Wolesi Jirga commission on security affairs, said that all permanent commissions of the house had different views about the presidential decree in joint sessions.
However, some other lawmakers stressed the decree itself should be first decided before discussing controversial issues in it.
Wolesi Jirga speaker Abdu; Rauf Ibrahimi finally asked lawmakers to vote on the decree. Of 126 lawmakers present, 86 voted against the decree.
Ibrahimi said the government should start distribution of electronic ID cards in line with the previous population registration law. (Pajhwok)