Election for the speaker of Wolesi Jirga or the Lower House of Parliament has again turned controversial. Neither of the two frontrunners, Kamal Naser Osuli and Mir Rahman Rahmani, secured the necessary 50+1 votes in the run-off race. The interim speaker of the house said on Saturday before the counting of the votes that 247 members of parliament were present and the winning candidate should secure at least 124 votes, but none of them hit the threshold. Rahmani won 123 votes, but after all votes cast were counted, the quorum fell three votes short of what was previously announced. This sparked a controversy among lawmakers, but the temporary speaker declared Rahmani as the winner without the consent of the house, drawing a strong reaction from some legislators. On Sunday, a number of protesting parliamentarians prevented Rahmani to occupy his seat, leading to a mass brawl with a lawmaker from Panjsher province seen in a footage posted online trying to knife other members of the parliament. Some lawmakers alleged that Rahmani had brought armed men into the house.
The new members of the Wolesi Jirga were widely believed to be more educated and from the youth, something which people expected would help restore trust in the legislature. However, the work of the new Wolesi Jirga in its very first days rendered Afghan people desirous of the old Wolesi Jirga. Although former lawmakers were accused of corruption and bribery, the disputes and brawls between them never escalated into an extent where they would try to knife each other in the house of the people.
The first days of Wolesi Jirga showed that an overwhelming majority of the new lawmakers are pursuing their personal interests, and even have no respect for the prestige of the house. Their actions demonstrate that the 17th legislative term of Wolesi Jirga will be full of more disputes and challenges as compared to the previous term. Also, it cannot be expected to properly oversee the government and pass laws in the nation’s interest. The top priority for the vast majority of the new lawmakers is unfortunately again to win contracts and protect their wealth. It will be difficult for the small portion of lawmakers, who are true representatives of their people, and promoters and defenders of the national interests, to stand against them, but this is the most logical option for them that they can still keep alive the hopes for a positive change.
Lessons need to be learned from the incumbent Wolesi Jirga. Efforts should be made to pave the way for a truly transparent election, and the people also need not to elect individuals for the house of the people that bring shame and trouble not only to them but also the whole nation. There is need for more work and efforts to strengthen the nascent democracy of Afghanistan.
