President can sack senior officials: Arg

KABUL (Pajhwok): The president is empowered to dismiss senior government officials, as he deems fit, his office says.

President Ashraf Ghani fired public health minister Ahmad Jawad Osmani on corruption charges earlier in the week, a move that raised many eyebrows.

But the Presidential Palace, in a statement issued on Saturday night, insisted the president was authorised to sack senior government officials.

Osmani was shown the door following the arrest of several individuals with links to the Public Health ministry on accusations of graft.

“According to Article 64, Item 11 of the Constitution, the President has the authority to appoint and dismiss senior government officials,” the statement said.

The Constitution is clear on the issue, according to the Palace, which said the minister had been dismissed on December 31 on the basis of the presidential decree 13969.

The statement said Ghani’s decision did not need to be further discussed or reviewed. An acting minister would be named soon, it promised.

Earlier in the week, Ghani’s office said the minister had resigned. In a video message, however, Osmani claimed he had been asked to quit.

mud

Views: 14