MPs accuse government of “political extortion”

Some members of Wolesi Jirga, the lower house of Afghan parliament, accused the government of political extortion on Monday.
The Government of National Unity is so busy with misuse of authority than paying heed to serious problems in the country, Members of Parliament (MPs) claimed.
Addressing the plenary session on Monday, Deputy Speaker of the house, Mohammad Hamayoun Homayoun, said the government was fueling ethnic divisions and had violated constitution of the country on several occasions.
“The current policy of the government is to fuel ethnic rifts among the people of Afghanistan and to make them be in fight with each other. The government is responsible for First Vice President Dostum’s exile and deaths of thousands of people,” Hamyoun, who represents the southeastern province of Khost in the house, claimed.
Instead of solving the problems of the people, the government exploits its authority by resorting to political extortion within the government, said MP Chaman Shah Etemadi.
Discussing the continuing political disputes in the country, some other MPs said that rifts not only cannot resolve the problems in Afghanistan, but also can plunge the nation into the dark past, something that is in no one’s interest.
“Political disagreements can pave the way for recurrence of history. If ethnic tensions are not handled wisely and continue the way they are now, the national unity will be hurt, something that will have grave consequences for the country,” Warned Salih Mohammad Saljoqi, an MP from western Herat province.
However, Speaker of the house of representatives, Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi said that it was government’s responsibility to take necessary measures for steeringthe country out of the ongoing chaos.
Ibrahimi said the current situation caused plenty of problems and to get rid of these challenge Afghans need to work together. MPs stressed that government had betrayed its promises with the public and therefore they no longer trust the government.