Parliament

KABUL (PAN): Four ministers on Monday appeared before the Wolesi Jirga, lower of parliament, insisting they had utilised more than half of development funds allocated to them in the 2011 annual budget.
Lawmakers accuse 11 ministers of failing to spend 50 percent of allocations meant for development activities in 2011.
They summoned the ministers last year to explain their positions, but only seven of them turned up, with the rest staying away despite warnings of no-confidence motions.

KABUL (PAN): Justice Minister Habibullah Ghalib on Saturday presented the Wolesi Jirga -- lower house of parliament -- a draft law on population census aimed at preventing the issuance of forged computerised ID cards.
Ghalib said the draft comprised of seven chapters and 39 articles and it had been prepared in compliance with Cabinet directives.
Under the draft law, computerised ID cards would be issued to all Afghans in three phases.

KABUL (PAN): The Wolesi Jirga -- lower house of parliament -- debate on on the fate of the Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Services Commission (IARCSC) ended on an inconclusive note on Saturday.
The assembly has tasked the Special Investigation Commission (SIC) and judicial organs to investigate IARCC activities and present their report to MPs so they could decide on the panel’s fate.

KABUL (PAN): The quorum problem on Wednesday prevented the Wolesi Jirga -- or lower house of the parliament -- from dealing with a heavy agenda, including important bills and agreements.
The house failed to take any decision on Afghanistan's inclusion in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and an agreement of cooperation with Tajikistan.

KABUL (PAN): The Wolesi Jirga has asked seven ministers to appear before it next Monday and Wednesday, an official said on Monday.
The decision came at a joint meeting of heads of parliamentary commission a day earlier, Wolesi Jirga Secretary Syed Ikram told reporters on assembly premises.

KABUL (PAN): Members of the Wolesi Jirga -- lower house of parliament -- on Monday started a debate on a draft electoral that would be placed before a general session two weeks later.

KABUL (PAN): Wolesi Jerga speaker Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi on Wednesday lost his father and elder brother to a suicide attack that killed another four people during a buzkashi game in the Imam Sahib district of northern Kunduz province, officials said.

KABUL (PAN): The Independent Election Commission (IEC) has announced the preliminary result of a recount in the provincial council elections in eastern Nangarhar province after completion of the tally.

KABUL (PAN): The Wolesi Jirga, or lower house of parliament, has postponed its winter recess until new cabinet members, who may be named by President Hamid Karzai in the next few days, get the vote of confidence.