Lawmakers say 3 vice-presidents against the Constitution

KABUL) to act about the issue according to the law.

On Thursday, the Afghanistan Grand National Alliance (GNA), a coalition of major political parties, announced it would soon be introducing a joint presidential candidate.

The alliance’s leadership council met in Kabul and announced if they won the April 20 presidential election, they would create a prime ministerial post and the president and the prime minister would have three deputies each.

However, Article 60 of the Constitution says: “The President shall have two Vice-Presidents, first and second. The Presidential candidate shall declare to the nation names of both vice presidential running mates.”

Today’s Wolesi Jirga meeting discussed the presidential tickets. Nader Khan Katawzai, a lawmaker from Paktia province, talking about the grand alliance’s statements said: “A president should have two deputies according to the law, more than two deputies for an electoral ticket is against the law and the IEC should not accept nominations of more than two deputies.”

Aryun Yun, a lawmaker form Nangarhar province, said: “Those who want to introduce eight individuals for one electoral ticket are power hungry, they should not be allowed to violate the law.”

A number of other lawmakers were of the same view. Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi, the Wolesi Jirga speaker, asked the IEC and political parties to work according to the law.

Meanwhile, Sayed Hafiz Hashemi, IEC spokesman, told Pajhwok Afghan News that appointing more than two deputies for a single electoral ticket was against the law.

He said the IEC would accept nomination papers of individuals who obeyed the law.

mds/ma