Senate wants distribution of electronic ID cards soon

Monitoring Desk

KABUL: The Mehsrano Jirga lashed out at Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah for supporting the postponement of electronic ID cards issuance, saying all problems in this regard had been resolved.

A day earlier, Abdullah announced his support for the postponement of distributing e-ID cards and urged the process be initiated after a unanimous agreement between the stakeholders.

The Meshrano Jirga or upper house of parliament discussed the issue.

Senator M. Hanif Hanafi from Uruzgan province said the CEO remarks were unacceptable to them and no one had the right to stop distribution of e-ID cards.

He said the Parliament had already approved the relevant law and the president had also endorsed it, therefore Abdullah should not try to stop this process for a few people.

Fawzia Sadat Samkani, another senator, said: “I think Abdullah has verbally mistaken in his speech, if his remarks are true, it would just earn him people’s hate.”

Mohammad Ajan Mangal, another senator, said the CEO was a leader and he should not support a few figures who were violating the Constitution. A number of other members of the lower house expressed similar views.

Meshrano Jirga Chairman Fazal Hadi Muslimyar said the parliament had acted according to the Constitution and if the government wanted to reverse the parliament’s decision, it should follow legal ways.

“Preventing e-ID cards from being issued is not a good move because the president issued his a recent order on the issue in consultation with the CEO,” he said. He asked the government leaders to start distribution of e-ID cards as soon as possible.

In March, 2013, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) shared a draft population registration law in seven chapters and 39 articles with the lower house.

The lower house approved the law with requesting changes in some controversial articles.

However, many people around the country opposed the law and demanded addition of nationality and tribe in e-ID cards.

On March 2, 2016 following protests, the president approved amendment to article sixth of the law. Based on the new presidential decree, nationality and tribes should also include in the identity cards. But the amendment in the law was rejected by the Wolesi Jirga while approved by the Meshrano Jirga.

However, the two houses then approved the law in a mixed delegation. But a number of lawmakers still opposed the final decision of the joint delegation.

Distribution of e-ID cards was expected to start on January 2 but the process was put on hold due to differences among lawmakers over the controversial parts of the law.