‘Selfish’ MPs interested in 4 commissions: Colleagues

KABUL (Pajhwok): Some Wolesi Jirga members on Monday accused their colleagues of considering their personal gains while nominating themselves to get membership of four lower house commissions out of the total 17.

Interestingly 63 percent lawmakers have nominated themselves for membership of the house financial, budgetary, internal security, complaints hearing and telecommunication commissions.

Fourteen percent other lawmakers are seeking membership of the justice, defence, natural resources, environment, women affairs, human rights, health, sports, central audit, counternarcotics, privileges and impunity of lawmakers, legislative affairs and Kochi affairs related commissions.

Erfanullah Erfan, deputy secretary of the lower house, said that members of the cultural, economy, justice, religious and international affairs commissions had been picked without voting.

He said some lawmakers had nominated themselves to two commissions at the same time while one lawmaker could only contest membership of only one commission.

Earlier, speaker Mir Rahman Rahmani said that in line with internal rules each commission should have nine to 25 members.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) there will be voting to elect members of the financial, security, telecommunications and complaints hearing commissions of the house.

Financial privileges in commissions’ elections

Some lawmakers claimed that certain lawmakers considered financial and other privileges for themselves in contesting elections for membership of commissions.

Monawar Shah Bahadur, a lawmaker from Herat province, said: “Experience of a person should be considered when it comes to election but here more attention is paid to money. Now the leadership of commissions is purchased and those who have money could become head of a commission.” 

It happens when some lawmakers had already alleged fraud in the elections for the house administrative board.

Ramazan Bashardost, who is eying membership of the privileges and impunity commission, said a majority of his colleagues were interested in membership of financial, internal security, telecommunications and complaints hearing commissions.

“Because these commission are more important compared to the other commissions, and heads of these commissions could increase their power and money.”

Syed Azem Kabrzani, a lawmaker from Herat province, said lawmakers’ interest in powerful commissions was aimed at gaining more power, uplift projects, influence and advocate strongly for their supporters.

He said he had decided on behalf of his supporters to nominate himself for the financial commission because he had much experience in the field.

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