KABUL - A number of Wolesi Jirga members on Tuesday criticized continued work of acting officials, saying that the matter questioned government’s legitimacy and facilitated corruption.
The ministries of education, information and culture, women’s affairs and rural rehabilitation and development and Da Afghanistan Bank are currently being headed by acting officials.
About a month ago, President Ashraf Ghani replaced former acting finance minister, Abdul HadiArghandiwal with Mohammad Khalid Payendeh and Mohammad JavadOsmani, acting public health minister with WahidullahMajroh.
Last Friday, the president appointed Hayatullah Hayat as acting interior minister, replacing MassoudAndarabi, and appointed Mohammad Yassin Zia as acting defense minister, replacing Assadullah Khalid.
Currently eight ministries and Da Afghanistan Bank, the Attorney General’s Office and Afghan Red Crescent Society are run by acting officials and three nominees for the High Council of the Supreme Court should also be referred to the Wolesi Jirga for the vote of confidence.
Some of these organs have been run by acting officials for about a year now, while according to the law on acting leadership, the acting officials should not continue work beyond two months.
Speaking to reporters in the parliament today, Shakur WaqifHakimi, a lawmaker from Badakhshan province, said that the continuation of work of acting officials was against the Constitution and country’s laws, which questioned the legitimacy of the government.
In addition to the fact that the president has authority to appoint acting officials, the Wolesi Jirga also has the right in endorse cabinet members, and if acting officials continue their jobs, it will discourage the lower house, he said.
He asked the president to introduce nominees for the organs run by acting officials as soon as possible so that the cabinet would gain its legitimacy.
Meanwhile, Abdul Zahir Tamim, a lawmaker from Ghor province, said, “When the leadership of an office fails to receive vote, it has no legitimacy. We call on the president to end the acting culture. When something is in violation of the law, it is not in the interest of people.”
“The continuation of work of acting officials questions the legitimacy of the government and also paves the way for corruption which has already reached its peak,” he added.
He said that the organs headed by acting officials were not accountable to the parliament, and continuation of their work was not in the interest of people and the government.
A number of other members of the lower house also asked for introduction of nominees for vacant cabinet posts as soon as possible to the Wolesi Jirga for the vote of confidence.
But Fatema Morchal, the deputy president’s spokeswoman, said efforts were underway to introduce new candidates to the Wolesi Jirga for vote in near future. (Pajhwok)