Lawmakers vow to protect democracy, system

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Wolesi Jirga on Monday debated the proposal of an interim government a day after Speaker Mir Rahman Rahmani said he supported the idea if it ensures the protection of existing system and the parliament.

The newly proposed peace strategy which calls for establishment of an interim government turned controversial during today’s session of the lower house.

Speaker Rahmani, while announcing the formation of a 21-member delegation for peace strategy yesterday said: “A strategy is said to be proposed by the US or the Taliban about an interim or peace government. We welcome this strategy if it ensures the protection of the existing system and the parliament. This strategy has some problems which need to be discussed between different stakeholders including the international community.”

The US has not spoken in this regard, but earlier Washington had said matters related to the future government were up to the people of Afghanistan to discuss.

The Afghan government and the Taliban negotiating teams had also said that they had not discussed an interim government.

Gul Ahmad Kameen, a lawmaker from Kandahar province, said: “We voted for the formation of the delegation to work on a peace strategy, not for acting on their own without the consultation of the people representatives.”

Ziauddin, a lawmaker from Samangan province, said that the National Directorate of Security (NDS) had offered money to some lawmakers to oppose Rahmani comments on the future strategy for peace.

He added the Wolesi Jirga defended democracy and would never defend President Ghani, first lady BibiGul and NSA Hamdullah Mohib.

Lawmaker Khan Agha Rezaee asked his colleagues: “Please raise your voices for sake of people, not for individuals. Daily 50 to 70 military personnel are killed. Nobody has the right to sabotage peace process, it is a national process.”

Speaker Rahmani said: “Yesterday there was no conference, not any commission was incepted. I received a list in which some lawmakers proposed that a peace delegation from Wolesi Jirga should be formed. We put that for voting to the lawmakers.”

“I support a strategy that ensures the survival of the system and parliament, I even said this strategy has some problems and an inclusive strategy should be formed.”

Following Rahmani’s remarks, some lawmakers created noise and the session was conducted behind closed doors for 15 minutes.

Later lawmakers demanded revocation of the Wolesi Jirga Peace Delegation, but according to other lawmakers such move would need two-thirds votes of the house because it was the house decision to form a delegation.

After the end of the session, at least 20 lawmakers talked to the media in the courtyard of the Wolesi Jirga.

Lawmaker Kamal Nasir Usoli representing other lawmakers said that whatever Rahmani said yesterday was his personal view and did not necessarily represent all lawmakers.

He demanded a review of the formation of peace delegation, adding the purpose of creating this delegation was formation of a peace strategy and they should work specifically on this.

He also rejected claim that some lawmakers had received money from NDS to oppose the peace delegation formed by the house.

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