MPs blast absent colleagues as holidays end

KABUL members did not return to the house on Tuesday — the first working day after a three-day recess on account of Eidul Adha.

Those appeared in the lower house complained the absence of their colleagues prevented the house commissions to hold a session slated for Tuesday.

Government offices resumed work on Tuesday, when the Wolesi Jirga commissions were to hold a meeting but most house members were absent.

Of the 249 members, only 10 were present at today’s session. Public representative from Kabul, Nazifa Zaki, told Pajhwok Afghan News the absence of lawmakers was not something new ad it had long been common.

“Some members attended the general sessions only four times in four years,” she said, adding the administrative delegation had failed to make a decision in this regard or enforce internal rules.

Another representative from Kabul, Shirwali Wardak, also complained about the absence of colleagues and said he landed in the house to attend the commissions’ session but found many colleagues absent from their seats and thus the session was delayed.

He linked the problem of absenteeism to a lack of an organised agenda and no feeling of responsibility among the public representatives.

He continued all members should have been present so that they could have held the session.

“Unfortunately, a bad culture we Afghans follow. We stay off even after the recess officially ends,” he said.

mds/ma

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