Afghan MP Urges Gov't to Hold Parliamentary Elections ASAP

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A senior Afghan lawmaker called on the country's national unity government to set a date for holding parliamentary elections as soon as possible as the parliament's five-year term ended on June 22.

Date: 24 June 2015 - 21:28

News ID: ۱۵۳۴۵

Speaking to the Tasnim News Agency, Mohammad Abduh, the Head of Afghan Parliament's Judicial Commission, expressed deep concerns over the possibility of the government's failure to meet its duties regarding holding parliamentary vote.
His comment came after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Friday issued a decree extending parliament's mandate until a vote could be held.
"The Afghan parliament has been trying to (pressure) the government to determine the exact date of parliamentary election as soon as possible," Abduh noted.
He noted, however, that according to the country's constitution, the parliament can continue its work until the elections are held.
The Afghan parliament's five-year term was set to expire on June 22, but elections scheduled for April were postponed because of security fears and disagreement on how to ensure a fair vote after a bitterly disputed presidential election last year.
President Ashraf Ghani's office said the decision to let the existing parliament stay on had been taken in consultation with the judiciary, the legislative and the executive, and a new election date would be announced in a month.