Unhappy with the so-called weak performance of the admin board of parliament, some Afghan lawmakers on Monday claimed that the Wolesi Jirga's board is involved in corruption and that the board was not strong enough to be effective.
Lawmakers also accused the board of being egotistical and hindering lawmakers in efforts to monitor the government.
According to MPs, the admin board members ignore their legislative tasks and chose instead to work on their own private business, adding that this prevents the house from accomplishing its own legal tasks efficiently which also includes the summoning of key government officials over national issues.
"Serious criticism exists against the admin board as the chairman remains busy with his own business, ignoring the issue, in-fact hindering us," Paktia MP Gul Padshah Majidi said.
"The admin board seeks to put its responsibility on lawmakers while the board is responsible to implement parliament's internal rules on members and conduct disciplinary processes," Balkh MP, Mohammad Abdoh said.
Reacting to lawmakers' allegations, parliament speaker Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi strongly rejects the claims made by them, saying that any member who remains absent in the future will face legal action.
"I do not agree with the allegations, the admin board has done its job, but it depends on you [lawmakers] , whenever you want to summon a security official, we are ready to abide by your decision," he said.
"On the basis of civil service law, the lawmakers who remain absent from the house for 21 days, we will not pay them their salaries and will deal with them in line with the internal rules and the law," house secretary Abdul Rauf Enaami said.
The Afghan Lower House of Parliament consists of 249 seats.
The parliament was expected to vote on three legislations at Monday's session, but because of a lack of a quorum were not able to as only 80 lawmakers were present.
