THE WEEK IN PARLIAMENT, 5/30-6/4: PARLIAMENT

UNCLAS KABUL 001405 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL AF SUBJECT: THE WEEK IN PARLIAMENT, 5/30-6/4: PARLIAMENT LEAVES FOR RECESS ¶1. Both houses of Parliament picked up their pace in handling legislation this week, with the June 5 recess drawing near. After both houses flirted with proposals to extend the session beyond June 5, or the recess beyond July 20, leadership in both institutions eventually called an end to the current session on June 3. Upper House staffers said they do not expect Speaker Sebghatullah Mojaddedi, who has been in Turkey for lengthy medical treatment, to return until Parliament reconvenes later this summer. ¶2. Lower House Speaker Qanooni tried to adjust the dates of the June 5-July 20 recess in an effort to give MPs more time to campaign for their preferred presidential and provincial council candidates in the Aug. 20 election. In their final session June 3, MPs rejected Qanooni's proposal to modify the recess dates and adjourned for the next 45 days. Qanooni then asked Upper House MPs, who had earlier voted in favor of an extension of the session to June 21, to join the Lower House in recess. ¶3. In other business this week: - The Lower House reached agreements with Karzai on several pieces of long-dormant legislation. MPs approved Palace changes to laws regulating civil servants, the government statistics office, and political parties. MPs agreed with a Karzai proposal to the Political Parties Law that bans parties form opening offices in foreign countries. - The Lower House passed the Communications Services Law after MPs debated whether Islamic law allowed the government to fine cell phone companies that violated provisions of the law. Qanooni instructed the Communications Committee to rewrite the law so as to authorize the executive branch to levy fines according to regulations, thereby absolving MPs from voting on putting the fines into law. - The Upper House passed the Trademark Law. EIKENBERRY