Parliament

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Meshrano Jirga -- the upper house of the parliament -- on Tuesday rejected a presidential decree regarding suggestions of the Electoral Reform Commission (ERC).
Formed on July 21 in compliance with a presidential decree, the ERC collected public opinion on revamping the election system over the past month and submitted its suggestions to the government.
Some of the major suggestions include registration of voters, making the election bodies accountable and the presence of two foreigners on the Independent Election Complaints Commission (IECC).

KABUL (Pajhwok): Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Abdul Razzaq Wahidi on Monday survived a no-confidence motion from the Wolesi Jirga after offering some satisfactory explanations.
Speaker Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi said 121 votes were required to impeach the minister.
However, 104 votes were cast against him and 71 in his support from the 184 MPs present at today's session. Nine votes were invalidated

KABUL (Pajhwok): Meshrano Jirga or Senate members on Sunday differed over whether to include or not in the upper house’s agenda a presidential legislative decree regarding elections.
Under Article 109th of the Constitution proposals for amendments to the electoral law cannot be included in the working agenda of the assembly during the last year of the legislative period.

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Wolesi Jirga on Saturday approved two presidential decrees authorising the departments concerned to make appointments in grade first and second and giving additional salaries from 5,000 to 10,000 afghanis for five academic ranks.
Mohammad Abdohu, who heads the house legislative commission, said articles 10th, 11th, and 12th of the civil services law had been amended in accordance with the presidential decree.
The changes authorised the ministers and director generals concerned to appoint staff in grade first and second, he said.

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Wolesi Jirga on Saturday decided to summon the telecommunications and information technology minister to appear before Monday’s session.
Lower house secretary Abdul Rauf Inami told Pajhwok Afghan News the commission of panel heads had included in its agenda to summon Telecommunications and IT Minister Abdul Razaq Wahidi to answer queries from lawmakers about illegal appointments and not appearing before meetings of the house commissions.

KABUL (Pajhwok): Some Wolesi Jirga (WJ) or lower house members on Wednesday alleged the Islamic State (IS)’s Radio Caliphate was airing its broadcasts from a foreign forces base in the capital of eastern Nangarhar province.
Allah Gul Mujahid, a lawmaker from Kabul province, claimed Radio Caliphate was operating from the Jalalabad airport and demanded the creation of a delegation to inform the president and investigate the issue.
Mujahid and other lawmakers said Daesh or Islamic State and the Taliban were the enemy of Afghanistan and should be eliminated.

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Meshrano Jirga or Senate on Tuesday, condemning the beheading of four Islamic State or Daesh fighters by a tribal militia in eastern Nangarhar province, decided to summon security bosses and the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) chief.
Reports had said members of an uprising group controlled by a powerful lawmaker from Nangarhar, Haji Zahir Qadir, had beheaded four Daesh militants in tat-for-tit killings after clashes between the two sides in Achin district.

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Wolesi Jirga or lower house of parliament on Monday granted a vote of confidence to President Ashraf Ghani’s seven nominees as members of the constitutional oversight body and one member of the Supreme Court High Council.
The president has introduced the nominees to the house on November 30 for a vote of trust.

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): Islamic State or Daesh fighters and a militia controlled by a powerful lawmaker have beheaded four men from each side after being captured during clashes in tit-for-tat revenge killings in eastern Nangarhar province, an official said on Sunday.
After government forces conducted operations against Daesh militants in Achin district, hundreds of gunmen loyal to lawmaker Haji Zahir Qadir established a base in the town about a month back.

KABUL (Pajhwok): Mines and Petroleum Minister Daud Shah Saba on Sunday said a strong 7,000-member security force would keep security for the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) project during its implementation and demining the route the pipeline would cross would begin in three months.
The TAPI project transferring gas from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan to India and Pakistan was officially inaugurated on December 13.