Wolesi Jirga session turns chaotic over speaker row

KABUL on Wednesday held sitting despite the lower house’s executive board’s decision to suspend the sessions until the end of Eid holidays, but the session turned chaotic over differences among lawmakers over the speaker vote.

After the inauguration of the 17th legislative term of the Wolesi Jirga on May 18, an election was conducted for the speaker position of the house but the poll went controversial.

The lower house is yet to reach a conclusion over the speaker position despite holding 12 sittings so far.

The Executive Board of the lower house of Parliament on Tuesday announced the house was going into recess until the end of Eid-ul-Fitr holidays, a decision opposed by a number of lawmakers as an illegal move.

However, the house today held its next session which was attended by 130 lawmakers.

Today’s session was organizing by provisional secretaries Qamar Bano Nuristani and Gulali Mohammadi.

After the inauguration of Wolesi Jirga, Atta Mohammad Dehqanpor was appointed as provisional speaker of the house.

Mir Rahman Rahmani and Kamal Nasar Osuli, the two top candidates for the lower house’s speaker position whose election turned controversial, have given up their candidacy.

Gul Ahmad Kamin, a lawmaker from Kandahar province, told today’s Wolesi Jirga session that another provisional speaker should be appointed and new candidates for the position announced.

A number of other lawmakers held similar views.

Mirdad Khan Najrabi, a lawmaker form Kapisa province, said that today’s session of the house was conducted in violation of the law.

He said speaker or deputy speakers of the house should chair the Wolesi Jirga sessions, not any other lawmakers according to the internal duties law of the parliament.

Hamayon Shahidzada, a lawmaker form Farah province, said that a number of legislators had talked with the previous provisional speaker Atta Mohammad Dehqanpor to take temporary leadership of the Wolesi Jirga.

When a number of lawmakers accompanying Dehqanpor to lead him to the speaker chamber, some other legislators created chaos and noise and then live broadcast from the house was switched off.

Later, a number of lawmakers took one of their colleagues to an ambulance in the compound of the parliament. What happened to the lawmaker could not be ascertained as the lower house building was closed against journalists.

mds/ma