The Lower House of Parliament, known as the Wolesi Jirga, with majority vote, approved the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) with the United States and the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with NATO on Sunday.
After debates on the agreements during the session, House Speaker Abdul Raouf Ibrahimi asked the MPs to raise their cards, green in favor of the pacts and red in opposition.
As a result, 149 representatives favored the accords, five others raised red cards opposing the agreements and two other lawmakers raised white cards.
"With majority vote, both agreements are approved," announced Ibrahimi.
The five lawmakers contesting the agreements include: Sadiqi Zada Neili, MP from Daikundi; MPs Abdul Raouf Enami and Amanullah Payman from Badakhshan; Ashuqullah Wafa from Baghlan and Mawlavi Abdul Rahman Rahmani from Balkh province.
After the approval of the agreements, President Ashraf Ghani in a statement welcomed the Wolesi Jirga's decision and asked the Senate to ratify both the agreements as soon as possible.
On Saturday, Ibrahimi announced to the MPs that the government, in a letter, requested the Parliament to prioritize tackling the agreements and urged the MPs to ratify the treaties as soon as possible, preferably before the London Conference on Afghanistan on December 4.
Both security accords were signed by the National Security Advisor, Hanif Atmar, within 24 hours of President Ashraf Ghani taking office on September 30, 2014.
The agreements will not only allow the presence of U.S. and foreign forces in Afghanistan post-2014, but is said to secure Washington's continued support to Afghanistan.
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Afghanistan: Wolesi Jirga Approves BSA and SOFA Agreements
The Lower House of Parliament, known as the Wolesi Jirga, with majority vote, approved the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) with the United States and the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with NATO on Sunday.
After debates on the agreements during the session, House Speaker Abdul Raouf Ibrahimi asked the MPs to raise their cards, green in favor of the pacts and red in opposition.
As a result, 149 representatives favored the accords, five others raised red cards opposing the agreements and two other lawmakers raised white cards.
"With majority vote, both agreements are approved," announced Ibrahimi.
The five lawmakers contesting the agreements include: Sadiqi Zada Neili, MP from Daikundi; MPs Abdul Raouf Enami and Amanullah Payman from Badakhshan; Ashuqullah Wafa from Baghlan and Mawlavi Abdul Rahman Rahmani from Balkh province.
After the approval of the agreements, President Ashraf Ghani in a statement welcomed the Wolesi Jirga's decision and asked the Senate to ratify both the agreements as soon as possible.
On Saturday, Ibrahimi announced to the MPs that the government, in a letter, requested the Parliament to prioritize tackling the agreements and urged the MPs to ratify the treaties as soon as possible, preferably before the London Conference on Afghanistan on December 4.
Both security accords were signed by the National Security Advisor, Hanif Atmar, within 24 hours of President Ashraf Ghani taking office on September 30, 2014.
The agreements will not only allow the presence of U.S. and foreign forces in Afghanistan post-2014, but is said to secure Washington's continued support to Afghanistan.
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