Afghanistan Times
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The parliamentary election has been delayed too much. Hopes for positive change of the voters were dashed not only by the government but their own elected representatives too. The voters wanted to change their fate while rejecting the corrupt and selfish members of the Wolesi Jirga in the coming parliamentary polls. Performance of the Wolesi Jirga or Lower House members was unsatisfactory. They failed in carrying out their duties effectively and keeping the public aspirations in view. There are also a few MPs who tried their best to safeguard the national interests and speak the truth. However, their voice has not been unheard in the echoes of troublemakers in the house. A few bad people cannot represent the whole institute or group. However, it is totally opposite when it comes to the Wolesi Jirga. There are only a few good MPs who had wept for the nation and did their best to speak about welfare of the general masses and development of the country.
Unfortunately, their voice had not been heard by their own colleagues. The self-centric politics had helped no one. If a survey about performance of the Wolesi Jirga members was carried out then surely over 60 percent would score perfect zero for their inattention towards serious challenges. Most of the lawmakers are surrounded by rumors. Delay in the electoral reforms had made the public upset and angry at their elected representatives because the prolonged delay has been a blow for the nascent democracy. After formation of the controversial government in Kabul, the parliament also became unacceptable for public when it completed its tenure. The country’s Constitution has been violated on regular basis. There is no authority in the country to punish those who violate the Constitution. As a matter of fact, some influential people who remained part and are part of the government had violated the laws so frequently that public lost trust over the judiciary and other pillars of the state.
To restore the public trust, the government had to take certain decisions and measures on war footing. First, there is need for parliamentary and judiciary reforms. Mere electoral reforms would not help the democracy. The government should cure the disease by treating the root cause. In this case the root cause is the Wolesi Jirga as the government failed to get approval of the important laws from the parliament on time. The Lower House has rejected presidential decrees on regular basis. Moreover, approval of important laws such as the Law on Elimination of Violence against Women is still a far cry. That’s why parliamentary reforms are need of the hour.
