Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Kabul (BNA) President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani presided over an extraordinary session of the cabinet here yesterday and discussed Wolesi Jirga’s recent interpellation of the ministers and dismissal of a number of which, considering the legal aspects and current situation of the country, BNA reported.
President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani who is leading the three forces of the country and announcing his support of the forces, considering their duties and responsibilities explained in the country’s constitution, said: “We are at the middle of the national talks for the future of Afghanistan which is really important. Therefore it is important to discuss the recent move taken by the Wolesi Jirga and to find ways for its solutions.”
The president went on saying that transparent accountability is the main principal of the National Unity Government (NUG), adding there is different between interpellation and accountability, as accountability has direct link to main duties and activities of the ministries. The president asked the Supreme Court to do necessary overview of the Wolesi Jirga’s summoning of the ministers over the lack of effective use of the development budgets during the fiscal year of 1394.
Thanking parliament’s welcoming of Brussels conference achievements, the president said that it was due to effective works of the cabinet minister, adding due to minister’s well performance, the country’s national revenue also dramatically surged. “Most of the cabinet ministers start their duties in the middle of 1394 fiscal year. This is while the country faces economic, political and security challenges and the government has successfully ended the three transition (political, security and economic), as it was one of the difficult works for the government. Protecting the geography of Afghanistan, as the country’s enemies were trying to defeat the government and implement their vicious goals, was also the major achievement for the NUG,” the president told the cabinet meeting.
Pointing to establishing of coordination and the spirit of cooperation between the three forces of the country, in particular with Parliament, the president said that there have been meetings for 30 times with both houses of the parliament so that to brief them on NUG’s programs and to bring better coordination among the three forces which is a need to current situation.
Concluding his remarks, the president said that he respects the three forces of the country, adding coordination and cooperation makes the main principle of the government. The president instructed the cabinet ministers to continue their duties until the Supreme Court decision revealed.
Following, Chief Executive Dr. Abdullah Abdullah spoke related to the issue, saying he is agree with what the president has said, calling holding of the session important in current situation so that to remove the people’s concern. “The Wolesi Jirga’s decision comes at the time that the country faces security, economic and political transition. The government has explained its plan for the international community and NATO and therefor has achieved their commitments. Respecting the three forces of the country and their responsibilities, the supreme court is needed to review the recent decision of the parliament in the light of constitution of the country,” Chief Executive Dr. Abdullah said to the session.
Meanwhile the second vice president Mohammad Sarwar Danesh said that despite of holding 30 coordinating meetings with Wolesi Jirga, the lower house still continued summoning of the ministers which is legally debatable and the supreme course is needed to provide information on the issue.
“Voting to ministers in their absence is not mentioned in the constitution. Considering the regional, internal and international situation, taking such decision out of their mean period has cause questions among the Afghan people,” VP Danesh said, adding most of the cabinet ministers have taken their duties in the middle of 1394 fiscal year.
The cabinet of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan after detailed discussion took the following decisions:
– The Cabinet of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan asks the Supreme Court to do the assessment of the recent Interpellation of the ministers in the light of the constitution during the 1394 fiscal year and submit its fiscal report to the Presidential palace.
– The cabinet ministers are instructed to continue their duties with full authority and responsibilities until the Supreme Court reveal its decision
