VZCZCXRO9455
PP RUEHDBU RUEHPW
DE RUEHBUL #1405 1541354
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 031354Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9232
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES PRIORITY 0093

UNCLAS KABUL 001405 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL AF
SUBJECT: THE WEEK IN PARLIAMENT, 5/30-6/4:  PARLIAMENT 
LEAVES FOR RECESS 
 
¶1. Both houses of Parliament picked up their pace in handling 
legislation this week, with the June 5 recess drawing near. 
After both houses flirted with proposals to extend the 
session beyond June 5, or the recess beyond July 20, 
leadership in both institutions eventually called an end to 
the current session on June 3.  Upper House staffers said 
they do not expect Speaker Sebghatullah Mojaddedi, who has 
been in Turkey for lengthy medical treatment, to return until 
Parliament reconvenes later this summer. 
 
¶2. Lower House Speaker Qanooni tried to adjust the dates of 
the June 5-July 20 recess in an effort to give MPs more time 
to campaign for their preferred presidential and provincial 
council candidates in the Aug. 20 election.  In their final 
session June 3, MPs rejected Qanooni's proposal to modify the 
recess dates and adjourned for the next 45 days.  Qanooni 
then asked Upper House MPs, who had earlier voted in favor of 
an extension of the session to June 21, to join the Lower 
House in recess. 
 
¶3. In other business this week: 
 
- The Lower House reached agreements with Karzai on several 
pieces of long-dormant legislation.  MPs approved Palace 
changes to laws regulating civil servants, the government 
statistics office, and political parties.  MPs agreed with a 
Karzai proposal to the Political Parties Law that bans 
parties form opening offices in foreign countries. 
 
- The Lower House passed the Communications Services Law 
after MPs debated whether Islamic law allowed the government 
to fine cell phone companies that violated provisions of the 
law.  Qanooni instructed the Communications Committee to 
rewrite the law so as to authorize the executive branch to 
levy fines according to regulations, thereby absolving MPs 
from voting on putting the fines into law. 
 
- The Upper House passed the Trademark Law. 
EIKENBERRY