Afghan parliament approves asset declaration draft law

By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL, Afghanistan

The lower house of the parliament approved a landmark anti-corruption law in capital Kabul on Monday that makes it compulsory for security and civilian officials to declare their assets.

The move is said to be in line with government pledges made during international conferences that urged Afghanistan to eradicate corruption.

The Wolesi Jirga (lower house) approved the draft law with 3 chapters and 16 articles with a majority vote. Some members, however, rejected the decree calling it a contradiction of the country's constitution. Some even called it a “violation of Sharia law”.

The law applies on government officials, including ministers, governors, mayors, parliamentarians and other civilian and security officials, and compels them to disclose their assets so that transparency could be ensured.

Some lawmakers were skeptical the government might use details about certain individual’s asset to politically “blackmail” him or her.

Syed Mohammad Hassan, who heads the house commission on justice affairs and corruption, told the house during a debate on the decree that the government had a track record of pressurizing house members whenever the house opposed a government move.

The draft law would be referred to the Meshrano Jirga (upper house) for a review and then to the president for final approval.

In January, Afghanistan was not listed among the three most corrupt countries in the world -- a first in several years.

The war-torn country has jumped from the third-most corrupt country in the world to the eighth in just a year.