Fighting corruption is not a political act and thus must not be treated arbitrarily: President of Afghanistan Dr Ashraf Ghani
 |
| مجلس عدلی و قضایی 7 اسد 1395 |
In this meeting, where Second Vice President Mohammad Sarwar Danish, Chief Executive Dr. Abdullah Abdullah and the leadership of the judicial entities of the country were also present, two documents, the terms of reference and presidential decree on establishment of the Council were endorsed. Based on the terms of reference, the National High Council for Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption is formed with the following objectives:
- Reforming and strengthening the judicial system based on rule of law, human rights and access to justice
- Amending the laws and other legal documents toward the goals of the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
- Resolute and Comprehensive fight against all kinds of administrative corruption
In the meeting, Second Vice President Mohammad Sarwar Danish said that it took about forty days and five meetings in the presence of the President for the preparations to establish the National High Council for Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption. He said that the Justice Center enjoys full independence but from a policy perspective, it comes under the umbrella of the National High Council for Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption. Head of the Supreme Court, Sayed Yousuf Haleem and Attorney General Farid Hamidi spoke about the delegation of authority from the Supreme Court and the Attorney General’s Office to the Justice Center. Chief Justice Haleem said that the Supreme is fully prepared and will cooperate with the Justice Center. He added that they will recruit experienced judges for the Center. Attorney General Mohammad Farid Hamidi said that the secretariat for the Anti-Corruption Justice Center will start operating as of the coming Saturday in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance. Finance Minister Eklil Hakimi said that there is budget for the center and after finalization of the center’s organizational structure, further resources will be provided. Special Representative for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan Tadamichi Yamamoto welcomed establishment of the National High Council for Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption. He thanked the Government and assured of cooperation for further effectiveness of the efforts to fight corruption. He underscored the importance of communicating to citizens and understanding their perspectives in this regard, so that way, people see that justice is served. EU Special Representative for Afghanistan Michael Mellbin welcomed the measure by the Government and said that it shows that the government of Afghanistan is serious in fighting corruption and has adopted a good approach to that end. Supporting the initiative, he underscored that anti-corruption plans should lead to an increase in revenue. British Embassy representative also welcomed the measure and underscored that it is a good and practical step in the right direction. President Ghani said that the point of our assurance and trust is the leadership of the Supreme Court and Attorney General’s Office, who have good records. The President thanked Afghanistan's international partners for endorsing the practical steps in this regard. He said that other anti-corruption measures will be taken and a review will take place every six months to assess whether the approach is right or needs modification. President Ghani underscored that fighting corruption is not a political act and thus should not be treated arbitrarily. The President added that we witnessed a twenty two percent increase in national revenue last year and we are determined to take practical steps in different areas to fight corruption before going to the Brussels Conference. Chief Executive Dr. Abdullah Abdullah also spoke in the meeting and said that the National High Council for Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption is a good beginning and the expectation that the international community has from Afghanistan is similar to that of the Afghan people. Chief Executive said that the Government’s will to fight corruption is strong, and there is no doubt about the scrupulousness of the personalities who lead the Judiciary and Attorney General’s Office. He said that the Judiciary and Attorney General’s Office are independent and that the government does not interfere in their work. At the end of the meeting, Mohammad Qaasem Hashemzai, President of the Independent Commission for Overseeing the Implementation of Constitution and Sayed Hussain Fakhry, Head of the High Office of Overseeing the Implementation of Anti-administrative Corruption Strategy welcomed the government’s measures and assured of their cooperation with the Justice Center.
>>> SOURCE