Drafts of the Higher Education Law, Mining Law and Anti-Corruption Law are all pieces of controversial legislation moving through Parliament that have yet to be finalized, despite the fact that they have been in the works for two terms of Parliament already.
Parliamentarians are to leave for winter recess in next eight days, which means none of the major banner legislation that has caused so much hand-wringing in the National Assembly are likely to get passed during the remainder of this term.
In democratic societies, Parliament is the institution that legislates the law. Discord and gridlock are expected, to a certain degree, but in Afghanistan, many drafts of laws go pending for months and in some instances for years.
"There are a few major problems in finalizing laws, of which political and emotional behavior of Representatives or absence of Representatives in the Commissions where laws are being reviewed are the biggest," Herat MP Muhammad Reza Khushk Watandost said.
The draft of the Higher Education Law has been pending for an entire term of Parliament due to disagreements over the terms "University" versus "College".
"Some of the laws pending in House of Representatives have been pending since the 15th term," Balkh MP Muhammad Abda said. "The House of Representatives has not been successful in processing the legal steps of these drafts."
Reportedly, during this term, the 16th, seven laws along with four international agreements were finalized by the House of Representatives and 15 laws and agreements by the Senate.
Besides substantive disagreement amongst lawmakers, a lack of discipline in the House of Representatives was also said to have contributed to the delays in approval of the laws.
"Surely, the absence of House of Representative members creates problems in the finalization of laws," Abda added.
House of Representative members are to leave for their annual recess on January 21 and return on March 6.