Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Thursday, March 28th, 2024

MPs Want Lodin to Explain Remarks on Trust Vote

MPs Want Lodin to Explain Remarks on Trust Vote

KABUL - Wolesi Jirga members on Monday asked High Office of Oversight and Anti-Corruption (HOOAC) Chairman Azizullah Lodin to explain his remarks that the assembly had granted trust vote to some graft-tainted Cabinet ministers.
Earlier this month, Lodin told the upper house that the Wolesi Jirga had granted vote of confidence to some ministers accused of massive corruption. He leveled the allegation after Senator Dr. Zalmai Zabuli asked him to name the graft-tainted officials.

Zabuli said the HOOAC had sent them a letter, saying that one minister had embezzled nearly 70 million Afghanis (1.3 million dollars), but the Cabinet member was not named.
"This question has also been asked by the Wolesi Jirga. I gave the lower house in writing the names of the corrupt people. Despite that, the MPs granted some of those men a vote of confidence," Lodin said in response to Zabuli's question.

He asked when the Wolesi Jirga did not take action against the corrupt ministers, what the upper house could do against them.

Mohammad Arif Rahmani, a lawmaker from southern Ghazni province, said what Lodin had told the house was an insult to the Wolesi Jirga. He urged asking the legislature to summon him to explain his remarks.

Another MP, Nazifa Zaki from Kabul said: "Such irresponsible statements are not in the interest of the national assembly." She added the Wolesi Jirga should investigate Lodin's remarks.

But a public representative from Kabul, Obaidullah Kalimzai, said if the HOOAC had sent them the names of corrupt people in writing and they had not discussed the issue, then the problem rested with MPs.

On the other hand, Wolesi Jirga Secretary Abdul Sattar Khwasi denied receiving any letter from Lodin. Several other lawmakers asked the assembly to summon Lodin to explain his position.

Deputy Speaker Nimatullah Ghafari, who presided over the session, said house commission heads would meet on Tuesday to take a decision on whether or not to summon the HOOAC chief.