PARLIAMENTARY BULLETIN Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V. AFGHANISTAN ABDUL SAMAD DR. BABAK KHALATBARI No. 04 & 05/2009 APRIL & MAY 2009 www.kas.de/afghanistan www.kas.de Review: The people of Afghanistan Lower House MPs called Minister will succeed!" the 91-year-old Khoram for further interpellation Zahir Shah told the assembly to on the 20th of April 2009, and from applause. The parliamentary and the 123 MPs present in the Lower provincial council elections were House on that day, majority MPs held on 18 September 2005. voted in favour of Minister Khoram Afterwards, the first results were to continue his work as the Minister declared on 9 October. Final results of Information and Culture. were delayed by accusations of fraud, and were announced on 12 Majority of the MPs was absent on November. Former warlords and the 22nd of April 2009, therefore, their followers gained majority of the Lower House could not the seats in both the Lower House continue with its general session and provincial councils. Women on that day. Those MPs who were won around 28% of the seats in present in the house said that a the Lower House, six seats more large number of MPs are on regular than the 25% guaranteed in the visits to foreign countries. MPs Afghan Constitution which was asked that when MPs return from launched in 2004. Approximately their visits, they should present twelve million voters were eligible their reports about the visit to the to vote for the 249 seats of the house. Wolesi Jirga, the Lower House of Parliament, and the 34 provincial Lower House MPs demanded from councils. the government to make the status of the foreign forces in Afghanistan Parliament: Minister for legal under the Afghan laws within Information and Culture, Abdul one week. Lower House MPs were Karim Khoram was summoned to discussing the killing of more than the Lower House on the 18th of 100 civilians in the Balabolook April 2009 to provide an district of Farah province on the 6th explanation as to why he is not of May 2009. MPs considered the implementing the media law which coalition forces operation in the was approved by the Lower House mentioned district to be in clear six months ago. Minister Khoram violation of the Afghan informed that this law has not constitution. reached him through proper legal channels; therefore, he can not Majority Lower House MPs called implement it. After extensive on the government once again to question and answer session, 55 legalize the existence of the foreign MPs agreed with the Minister’s forces in Afghanistan. A number of explanation and 71 disagreed. MPs MPs who protested outside the concluded that they want to Lower House building said that the summon the Minister again in the continuous killing of Afghan near future. 2 Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V. civilians can not be tolerated complained of the excessive noise anymore. of the aircrafts taking off and AFGANISTAN landing at Bagram Airbase on their SAMAD/KHALATBARI Lower House MPs of the Afghan children and women. The people of th parliament declared on the 20 of the area would like relevant No. 04 & 05/2009 May 2009, that this house will not officials to pay attention to this approve any international issue. www.kas.de/afghanistan agreement, convention or treaty th www.kas.de signed by Dr. Rangin Dadfar On the 26 of May 2009, the Spanta, the Minister of Foreign complaints hearing commission of Affairs, since this house had the Lower House discussed the delivered a vote of no confidence in cases of a number of Afghans Spanta in 2007. The SAARC whose lands or houses are grabbed agreement and an agreement to by powerful persons. Mrs. Alia, exchange prisoners with the United who lives in the fifth district of Arab Emirates were mentioned to Kabul, presented her case to the be included in these agreements. mentioned commission which was about the part of her home taken On this day Lower House MPs also by a property developer named discussed the continued tenure of Haji Younus. She tried to set President Karzai after the 22nd of herself on fire; however, security May 2009, when his term as the officials prevented her from doing President ends. A number of MPs so. Mrs. Alia informed the stressed that according to the commission that Haji Younus is not constitution of Afghanistan, satisfied with taken part of her President Karzai is no longer the house and is now after her entire President of Afghanistan after the home and because he is a powerful 22nd of May 2009; however, there person relevant institutions are not were other MPs who said that it pursuing her case. Members of the would be better for the President to commission decided that Haji remain in the office until a new Younus should come before this President is elected. commission soon. The Judicial Affairs Commission of The Lower House approved the the Lower House discussed the counter narcotics law on the 27th of issues of Afghan prisoners in the May 2009 after almost one year’s Guantanamo prison with the deliberation. Attorney General on the 24th of May 2009. The Attorney General Elections: A gathering that was said that a total of 616 prisoners going to support the candidacy of have been transferred to Kabul and Zalmay Khalilzad for the 26 are still remaining in Presidential election was disturbed Guantanamo. The dossiers of 292 by the local people of Ghazni on prisoners have been referred to the the 12th of April 2009. According to courts. The Attorney General the local media, some people added that 397 prisoners are being gathered in one of the local hotels held at Bagram air base. to express their support to Khalilzad. However, a short while The Defence Affairs Commission of later, others entered into that hotel the Lower House discussed the and broke the windows of the hotel flights of the international forces’ disrupting the gathering. One of aircrafts flying and landing at the the protesters said to the media Baghram airbase with the residents that they will protest against the of the area. The residents 3 Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V. candidacy of Khalilzad wherever dependent Election Commission th people gather to support him. (IEC) on the 9 of May 2009, one AFGANISTAN day after the final date of registra- SAMAD/KHALATBARI Sayed Fazil Sancharaki, the tion for the Presidential candidates. Spokesman of the United Front She said that these commissions No. 04 & 05/2009 Headed by Burhanudin Rabani, should investigate and pay serious th announced on the 15 of April attention to the peoples’ com- www.kas.de/afghanistan 2009, that Abdullah Abdullah is the plaints in relation to the back- www.kas.de Front's candidate for the ground of the presidential candi- Presidential election and it will be dates and their deputies. MP Ba- announced to the media soon. rakzai added that human rights Abdulah served as the Minister of violators and war criminals must Foreign Affairs during the Interim not be allowed to participate in the and Transitional Governments. future political life of Afghanistan. On the 5th of May 2009, President FEFA (Free and Fair Election Foun- Karzai and Richard Holbrook, the dation) said to the local media on US Special Envoy for Afghanistan the 11th of May 2009 that a num- and Pakistan discussed the Afghan ber of presidential and provincial Presidential election. According to councils’ elections candidates vio- the government funded Anis daily, lated the registration process. FEFA the issues of US assistance for the added that a number of provincial Afghan election, the importance of council candidates have been in- holding a general and transparent timidated by powerful persons and election and the international a number of presidential candi- community helping with the dates have taken advantage of security, as well as Afghans having government resources while regis- the right to become candidates and tering. FEFA said that the current the right to vote in these elections, President, Hamid Karzai is one of as well as giving all the candidates these violators. When he went to a fair opportunity to introduce the IEC to register, the roads lead- themselves to the people were ing to the IEC were closed for five discussed. hours and other candidates were not able to register during this The Afghan election commission time. FEFA claims that its monitors announced the dates for the regis- reported one hundred cases of vio- tration of candidates for the Presi- lation when candidates have used dential and provincial councils’ government cars and security staff elections. The candidates can reg- at the time of registering and this ister with the election commission in itself is misusing government from the 25th of April to the 8th of and public resources for personal May 2009. use. FEFA added that it is con- cerned about the delay in the es- According to the local media re- tablishment of the election com- ports, a total of 44 presidential plaints hearing commission. candidates registered with the IEC by the end of registration date. A large number of supporters of the former Minister of Interior, Ali Shukria Barakzai, Lower House MP Ahmad Jalali gathered in Kabul on from Kabul and the Head of the the 15th of May 2009 to express third-line Parliamentary group in their support for Ashraf Ghani the Lower House called on the Af- Ahmadzai, who is a candidate for ghan Independent Human Rights the Presidential election to be held Commission (AIHRC) and the In- on the 20th of August 2009. Jalali 4 Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V.