MPs: Too many temporary, acting ministers in govt

Monitoring Desk

KABUL: Legal experts and members of parliament strongly criticized the National Unity Government over what they described as a failure to address the issue of “caretakers,” or acting ministers, in the government institutions.

They said that extending the terms of caretakers for more than two months is a clear violation of the law.

There is a similar issue within the Supreme Court of Afghanistan where only six out of nine judges were approved by the parliament.

According to the State Ministry on Parliamentary Affairs, out of 23 ministers, eight of them were approved by the parliament, another 9 were introduced for a vote of confidence to the parliament, and six others work as caretakers. This comes few days after Yama Yari stepped down from his job as minister of transport, leaving the ministry post vacant.

“The parliament of Afghanistan must be respected; if the ministers are not introduced, this must be evaluated as a major problem,” said Adela BahramNiazami, former advisor to the president. “The caretaker ministers are neither answerable to the law nor to parliament,” said Mir RahmanRahmani, speaker of the Afghan parliament.

According to lawmakers in the parliament, from 43 government officials who were sent to the parliament for a confidence vote, only 19 of them secured the vote.

“No minister is allowed to work as caretaker more than two months, if he remains at the post, this is violation of the law and all his undertakings are illegal,” said legal expert Abdul SubhanMisbah.

“We are ready to work with the parliament with an understanding to introduce the ministers or candidates to them very soon,” said SediqSediqqi, spokesman for President Ashraf Ghani.

Since its formation in 2014, the National Unity Government under president Ashraf Ghani and CE Abdullah Abdullah has failed to address the problems of vacancies in an incomplete cabinet.(TOLOnews)