Afghanistan Times
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KABUL: The Wolesi Jirga or lower house of parliament on Saturday voiced grave concern over constitutional violations committed by the three branches of the government, urging the relevant oversight commission to seriously pursue the issue.
The 16th anniversary of the Afghanistan Constitution’s ratification, which is observed on January 4th every year, was marked on Saturday during a ceremony where a number of public representatives said that 62 percent of the Constitution’s articles were transgressed by the three pillars – executive, legislative and judiciary – of the state.
According to the members of the parliament, most of the violations were committed by the Executive Branch of the nation.
Wolesi Jira Speaker, Mir Rahman Rahmani said: “We are observing the Constitution’s Day at a time when a considerable amount of this supreme law’s provisions are breached: Such as the elections of municipalities, district councils, and provincial councils have not been conducted; the ministers are still in acting status; and governmental structures are also against the Constitution .”
He asked the Independent Commission for Overseeing the Implementation of the Constitution (ICOIC) to take necessary actions and measures in order to properly implement the Constitution.
Lawmaker Ghulam Hussain Nasiri said, “How can a country, whose Constitution’s 62 percent of material is violated by the government, globally claim to have a system or law?”
Nasiri said the administrative board, as well as members of the parliament, were obliged to be present in general sessions, as well as meetings of the commissions, in order to ensure the proper execution of the Constitution. “Otherwise, there will be no dignity left for the Wolesi Jirga.”
Fatima, a lawmaker from Kunduz province, said, “The executive pillar has mostly violated the constitution. Injustice and discrimination between people is also a violation of the Constitution. I hope the new establishment would respect the Constitution.” A number of other members of the house held similar views.
The current Afghan Constitution was approved by the consensus in January 2004 after the 2003 Loya Jirga. The Constitution consists of 162 articles and was officially signed by Hamid Karzai on January 26, 2004.
