MPs assail govt over delaying ministers-designate

KABUL members lashed out at the government for not sending ministers-designate to the lower house for endorsement on Monday.

The appearance of ministers-designate before the Wolesi Jirga — lower house of parliament — has been delayed to next week.

The Cabinet nominees were scheduled to appear before the house for the trust vote today (Monday, but their appearance was set back.

Shakeba Hashemi, a lawmaker from Kandahar province, termed the delay an insult to the parliament and said not honoring the house agenda was a violation of the Constitution.

Munawwar Shah Bahadur, a lawmaker from Herat province said the delay in introduction of minister-designates raised questions and said the government wasted a full day of the house.

Deputy Humayon Humayon said a government letter regarding the delay reached the house late last night and it was not possible to change the agenda at that time.

He told lawmakers: “The problem lies with us why the government is not paying attention to the house of the people.”

Lawmaker Ramazan Bashardost in written form asked the administrative panel to investigate expenses lawmakers made on serving dinner to ministers-designate.

In the past one week, Mirwais Yaseeni, lawmakers Abdul Qader Zazai Watandost, Amir Khan Yar, Senate chairman Fazl Hadi Musliyar and other lawmakers had invited ministers-designate at their homes and hotels like Inter-Continental for dinner.

Bashardost said: “It should be investigated if the money on these extravagant meals was spent from the state treasury or from own pockets.” He said it was surprising why the Senate chairman was interested in the trust vote process for some of the Cabinet picks.

nh/ma

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