MPs seek end to work of caretaker ministries

The Wolesi Jirga on Saturday slammed the government for long refusing to replace acting ministers and not introducing Supreme Court judges to the lower house for a trust vote.
Currently, several ministries including the foreign affairs, mines and petroleum, information and cultural, education, energy and water, urban development and housing have long been headed by acting ministers. The Red Crescent Society (RCS) is also being long headed by an acting head.
Some acting ministers have been in office for the last two years and others for the past few months against the law that only allows the maximum of two months in office for officials working in an acting capacity.
Wolesi Jirga member from southern Kandahar province Mohammad Naeem Lalai Hameedzai told Saturday’s session that the acts of some acting ministers were illegal because they were in office beyond the legal period.
He said the government should introduce its nominees to the lower house for a vote of confidence to replace acting officials.
He claimed the majority of acting ministries were more engaged in their personal affairs because they considered themselves unaccountable and they disregard the people and their representatives in the National Assembly.
Ghulam Farooq Majroh, a lawmaker from western Herat province, also demanded an end to the acting rule and asked ministers-designates be sent to the house for trust vote.
Speaker Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi also stressed the need for an end to acting capacity and asked the government to introduce ministers-designates to the house. Without going into details, he said two ministers–designate and two members of the Supreme Council Court had been introduced through a formal letter.