Three months after President Ashraf Ghani’s decree announcing the formation of an anti-corruption commission, only 30 percent of the new commission's allocated positions have been filled, which analysts say will negatively impact the efforts to fight the problem.
The property registration directorate and the special secretariate of anti-corruption of the Administrative Office of the President have been merged with the commission, said commission head Abdul Qayum Nizami.
Nizami said that at least 30 corruption cases--big and small--have landed at the commission for assessment.
“We are following cases thoroughly based on existing precedents, which include some cases of ministers and higher-ranking officials,” Nizami said.
“The activity of the Independent Joint Anti-Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Committee (MEC) has also ended and all specialists of the MEC will be appointed to the commission and they will work in the commission,” he added.
The commission was announced by the president just days ahead of last year’s donor-pledging conference in Geneva. Monitoring organizations said the establishment of the commission was seen by many as symbolic and “illegal” move.
“When a person is appointed based on a presidential decree, it means that he is a political person… and if it is so, how can he fight corruption in the government,” said Maiwand Rouhani, former head of the independent joint anti-corruption committee.
“We will raise our voice through parliament’s tribune so that reforms are brought to their appointment mechanism,” said Baktash Ishchi, an MP from Jawzjan.
All officials of the commission have been appointed by the president, officials said.
The head of the commission said that major corruption cases will be reassessed, and their assessment will be expedited.
Abdul Qayum Nizami, Humayun Hamid, Maryam Zurmati have been appointed as members of the commission for a six-month term while Sayed Mohammad Hashimi and Farukh Leqa have been appointed for a three-year period.