Monitoring Report: Twelfth Sessions of Sixteenth Legislative Period of Wolesi Jirga September 6, 2016 to January 19, 2017
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Monitoring Report: Twelfth Sessions of Sixteenth Legislative Period of Wolesi Jirga September 6, 2016 to January 19, 2017 1 Acknowledgement Preparation and completion of this six-month parliamentary monitoring report is a remarkable achievement of FEFA’s parliamentary monitoring team toward increasing the level transparency and accountability of parliament. I express my gratitude and appreciations to my colleagues in parliamentary monitoring team and all those who helped us in preparation of this report. Undoubtedly, preparing this report would not have been possible without the cooperation and collaboration of the National Assembly (Wolesi Jirga). Therefore, FEFA express its gratitude and appreciation to Wolesi Jirga and its respected members for their professional behavior with FEFA’s monitors and supporting FEFA inside and outside the National Assembly. Mohammad Yousuf Rasheed Executive Director of FEFA 2 Contents Acknowledgement .......................................................................................................................... 2 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 5 Executive Summary (Findings and Recommendations)................................................................ 6 1. Separation of Plenary Sessions ........................................................................................... 6 2. Role of legislation in parliament ........................................................................................ 6 3. Supervision Role in Plenary Sessions .................................................................................... 7 4. Recommendations ................................................................................................................. 8 Parliamentary Performance of Wolesi Jirga ..................................................................................... 9 1. Legislation ............................................................................................................................. 11 1.1 Introduced Draft-Laws ....................................................................................................... 12 1.2 Rejected draft-laws ....................................................................................................... 13 .1.2Underwork draft-law 13 .1.3International treaties 13 .1.4Rejected treaties 14 2. Oversight the Performance of Government ............................................................................. 15 1.2. Hearing Sessions ................................................................................................................ 15 2.2. Questionings Sessions ....................................................................................................... 18 2.3. Interpellation Sessions ...................................................................................................... 21 3. Representing people ................................................................................................................. 22 3. Issues discussed in privilege time ........................................................................................ 22 3 3.4 Reviewing complaints and handling public problems ...................................................... 23 4. Committees .............................................................................................................................. 23 5. Violation of the Internal Rules of Procedure ...................................................................... 24 4 Introduction FEFA started its parliamentary monitoring program on January 2012. FEFA took the parliamentary monitoring initiative for the first time in the history of Afghanistan which had three objectives: 1-Making sure laws are made transparently and parliament oversee the performance of government well, 2- Increasing public awareness from activities of parliament and strengthening relationship between parliament and civil society. FEFA monitors the sessions of Wolesi Jirga based on the universal declaration on Open Parliament and the enforced laws of Afghanistan to inform citizens from the activities of parliament and make sure the legislation process take place transparently based on the national interest of the country. This six-month monitoring report include the activities of Wolesi Jirga from beginning of the 12th legislative sessions of sixteenth legislative period until its end (September 6, 2016 to January 19, 2017). This report include FEFA’s findings from the plenary and committee sessions (The committees monitored by FEFA) of Wolesi Jirga. This report briefly point out the activities of Wolesi Jirga including legislation, overseeing the performance of government and representing people. This report covers the cases of violation of internal rules of procedure of Wolesi Jirga Jirga in plenary and committee sessions as well. 5 Executive Summary (Findings and Recommendations) 1. Separation of Plenary Sessions Wolesi Jirga totally held 52 sessions including انواع جلسات عمومی در اجﻻس یازدهم سال ششم 1 extraordinary session, 3 secrete sessions, 9 questioning sessions, 11 hearing sessions, 5 جلسات عادی 2% 2%2% interpellation sessions and 23 regular 7% جلسات استجوابی sessions in 12th sessions of sixth legislative 21% جلسات استماعی .years جلسات استیضاحی 66% جلسات افتتاحیه جلسات فوق العاده 2. Role of legislation in parliament Legislation is a main legal duty of Wolesi Jirga of the National Assembly of Afghanistan. Totally, 15 draft-laws and 21 international treaties were sent to Wolesi Jirga for approval in the 12th sessions of the 6th legislative year. Among these documents 1 legislative decree and 1 international treaty were rejected by the house and the rest of drafts and international treaties were approved. Wolesi Jirga received draft-laws from government to approve them. The draft-laws initiated by the government must pass several stages and get confirmed from the relevant body, ministers’ council, Ministry of Justice, Wolesi Jirga, Meshrano Jirga and the president to become a law but legislative decrees issue by the president is a written instructions of the president which get publish in official gazette without passing those stages. Likewise, According to article 97 of the constitution, 10 members of each house of the National Assembly can recommend proposal for approval. Totally, 67% of the draft-laws were initiated and introduced by the government to Wolesi Jirga. مراجع فرستنده قوانین 20% از جانب حکومت فرمان تفنینی 13% طرح پیشنهادی اعضای ولسی جرگه 67% 6 3. Supervision Role in Plenary Sessions Based on article 127 of the Constitution, Wolesi Jirga oversee the performance of government. Wolesi Jirga oversee the performance of government through questioning, hearing and interpellation sessions. In twelfth sessions of sixth legislative year, Wolesi Jirga held 9 hearing sessions. Different issues including insecurity, Brussels Conference on Afghanistan, vacant positions in ministries, the situation of narcotic addicts, increment of price of petroleum, publicity against government and pollution were discussed in these sessions. 28% of the respective state officials who were summoned to present information in these sessions, managed to satisfy members of Wolesi Jirga through presenting logical reasons. However, 27% of them were unable to satisfy members of the house. It is worth mentioning that 18% of these sessions were announced secret. The respective officials could satisfy 54% of MPs in these نتایج نشست های استجوابیه اجﻻس دازدهم sessions. Those officials who couldn’t satisfy MPs were invited to the second hearing session of interpellation. The state officials قناعت حاصل شد who were unable to satisfy 27% 28% قناعت حاصل نشد members of the house were summoned to another جلسه سری شد questioning session or were مسوولین حاضر نگردیدند .impeached 18% 27% Through hearing sessions the government officials present their working reports to MPs and if the MPs are not satisfied with the replies or performance of government officials, they can summon them to questioning or interpellation sessions. Likewise, Wolesi Jirga held 11 hearing sessions 7 including 3 sessions to hear the provincial reports and 1 session to hear from the Minister of Finance about Brussels Conference on Afghanistan. Based on article 91 of the Constitution, Wolesi Jirga can make decision to impeach every minister. Similarly, based on article 99th of the Internal Rules of Procedure of Wolesi Jirga upon a proposal of twenty percent of its Members, the House may decide that an inquiry on a Minister be initiated. Wolesi Jirga held 5 interpellation session in twelfth sessions of sixth legislative year and summoned 16 ministers due to their inability in spending more than 70% of their ministerial budget. 9 of the summoned ministers managed to satisfy members of Wolesi Jirga and remain in office but 7 others were unable to satisfy member of the house therefore they were disqualified by the house. 4. Recommendations 1- Considering the efficient and important role of the National Assembly in the structure of state, its main duties are legislation and oversight the performance of government. So, Wolesi Jirga must develop clear mechanisms on overseeing the performance of government and track the performance of government executive officials accordingly. 2- FEFA’s monitoring findings indicate that MPs discuss very important national issues in privilege time but these issues are