Amendments to law on provincial councils’ role on the cards

KABUL (Pajhwok): The national unity government on Saturday said it would submit to the parliament draft amendments to a law barring provincial councils from overseeing local departments’ performance.

Some days back, the lower house decided provincial councils did not reserve the right to evaluate the performance of local departments. Nearly two dozen provincial councils (PCs) have closed their offices in protest.

On Saturday, President Ashraf Ghani directed the Independent Directorate of Local Governance to look into PC members’ concerns at the Wolesi Jirga-enacted law abolishing their supervisory powers.

A statement from the Presidential Palace quoted Ghani as instructing IDLG to submit recommendations to him regarding the supervisory discretion of PCs within two weeks.

Based on IDLG proposals, draft amendments to the law would be placed before the parliament for approval, the statement said. Under Article 139 of the Constitution, the councils are not empowered to oversee the departments. 

The article says: “The provincial council takes part in securing developmental targets of the state and improving its affairs in a way stated in the law, and gives advice on important issues falling within the domain of the province…”

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