Senate Approves Presidential Order For Hindu Seat

News - Afghanistan 


The Upper House of Parliament unanimously approved a Presidential order from Hamid Karzai that would create one seat for the Hindu and Sikh minority groups on Tuesday.
The Lower House has rejected the order last month, saying it was contrary to Afghanistan's Constitution.
In a legislative decree, President Hamid Karzai had asked Parliament to implement changes in the election so as to allocate one seat to the Hindu minority. The legislative order further says that a special election constituency should be considered in the election law for the Hindu minority.
Members of the Upper House said the Hindu minority should have a seat as ten seats have already been allocated to the Kochis (nomads).
"The presidential order was approved in majority and only seven votes were casted against the order," Senate Chairman Fazel Hadi Muslimyar said.
A joint parliamentary commission will now discuss the future of the order.
"The senate's decision is not the final stage, it will be referred to the joint parliamentary commission, and we hope that the joint commission approves the order," Hindu Senator Anarkali Honaryar said.
The Lower House consists of 249 seats. In a presidential order president Karzai had asked the lawmakers to allocate one seat to the Hindu minority and increase the number of seats to 250.

Courtesy: tolonews dot com

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Hindu Backlash to Lower House Seat Refusal

News - Afghanistan  

Members of the Sikh and Hindu minority in Afghanistan on Tuesday criticized the Lower House's refusal to approve a Presidential Decree that would designate a single seat to them in Parliament.
Although the Senate voted in favor of the change this week, it must now be forwarded on to a joint-chamber commission to have its fate decided.
The Hindu & Sikh Council called the Lower House's vote discriminatory, and demanded that their democratic rights be respected.
"We still cope with many religious and ethnic problems, and only a few people in Parliament can defend them...so the presence of one representative or more than one that could serve the interests of the Hindus in Parliament is essential," said Zehra Sepahr, the Chairperson of the Development & Support of Afghan Women & Children Organization.

The Hindu & Sikh Council argued that the addition of a new seat for the religious minority, which would raise the total number of seats in Parliament to 250, would not have any detrimental effect on the rights and powers of the other representatives.
"This is the 250th seat approved by the Upper House, and the rights of others wouldn't be violated," said Rawul Singh, a member of the Council.

The Hindu & Sikh Council in a resolution of their own declared that their civil and political rights had been violated by the Lower House stance, calling on the United Nations and other international bodies to take steps to protect religious minorities in Afghanistan.

Source:tolonews dot com

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