VZCZCXRO5030
PP RUEHDBU RUEHPW
DE RUEHBUL #1119 1231251
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 031251Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8714
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS KABUL 001119 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM AF
SUBJECT: THE WEEK IN PARLIAMENT, 4/25-4/30: ELECTORAL LAW 
UP NEXT? 
 
REF: KABUL 25 
 
¶1. Lower House Speaker Yunus Qanooni has urged MPs working on 
the Electoral Law to resolve ongoing disputes and bring the 
legislation to the house floor for a final vote (reftel). 
Because the Constitution prohibits Parliament from changing 
electoral law in the final year of its five-year term, MPs 
are pushing to pass the bill before the June recess so the 
new law can apply to next year's parliamentary and district 
council elections.  The international community has asked MPs 
to insert a provision clarifying that any law passed this 
session will not apply to the August 20 presidential and 
provincial council elections.  Deputy Speaker Mirwais Yaseni 
predicted the Legislation Committee would need to introduce 
the bill to the plenary session this week if MPs hope to pass 
it and send it to President Karzai before Parliament goes 
into recess in four weeks. 
 
¶2. Other Parliamentary Business: 
 
- The Lower House passed the Chamber of Commerce Law, but set 
aside work on a law regulating private security companies 
until the Internal Security Committee could review comments 
from the Ministry of Interior. 
 
- Lower House MPs from Samangan, Ghazni, and Daikundi 
complained about the performance of their provincial 
governors during free discussion periods.  Samangan MPs have 
threatened to boycott Lower House sessions if the government 
does not replace their governor. 
 
- The Lower House approved a number of conventions and 
diplomatic agreements, including the International Conference 
on Labor Standards, the Convention on Eliminating Child 
Labor, the Agreement on the Vocational Rehabilitation of 
Disabled People, and a mutual cooperation agreement with 
Kazakhstan. 
 
- The Upper House only met once because of the Victory Day 
holiday this week.  MPs could not reach a quorum, so action 
on the Extradition Law and other business was postponed until 
next week. 
RICCIARDONE