Wolesi Jirga throws out President Ghani’s legislative decree

KABUL, or lower house of parliament, on Saturday threw out President Ashraf Ghani’s fifth legislative decree, barring acting officials from performing their duties in security institutions for more than two months.

Earlier, the lower house passed a law that restrained interim officials from heading government departments/institutions for more than two months.

President Ashraf Ghani, during the assembly’s summer recess, issued a legislative decree exempting acting security organs officials from the legal provision. The decree enabled the acting defence minister to continue working in his position beyond two months.

Asifa Shadab, head of the parliamentary commission concerned, said a joint a meeting of the panel viewed the decree as creating rifts between the government institutions and amounted to meddling in house affairs.

Of the 122 lawmakers present during the session, 115 voted against the measure. Earlier, the assembly also rejected a legislative decree regarding the status of the national economic consultative office as an independent budgetary unit.

On October 14 and 21 this year, the lower house had thrown out three legislative decrees regarding income tax, customs and a 10 percent tax on cell-phone consumers.

nh/mud

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