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On the web, a standoff between parliamentarians and the Afghan Ministry of the Interior. At issue: a police check that went wrong. On social networks, support is largely in favor of the police.
From our correspondent in Kabul ,
The facts go back to Friday night, day of rest in Afghanistan. Parliament cars are stopped at a police checkpoint in Kabul. These cars are big Toyota Land Cruisers, big 4x4 armored with tinted windows. A very common type of car, very common in Afghanistan and used by diplomats, businessmen and politicians. Parliamentarians too. At the roadblock, the police demand to control the inside of the cars. Tone up. Security guards of parliamentarians inside the vehicles refuse. The situation is degenerating. All are brandishing their weapons and it takes little to ensure that the simple routine control does not turn into drama.
Extraordinary meeting to challenge the application of the law
On the social networks, the vast majority of Internet users express how outraged they are. Because the controls of the cars that circulate in town are usual because of the risks of attacks. Every citizen submits to it without being able to contest this practice related to the security context . What particularly shocked the public was the extraordinary meeting held in an emergency in the parliamentary assembly late in the evening. The Minister of the Interior himself had to travel to explain the behavior of police officers. How to justify an extraordinary meeting for this reason? asks some shocked Internet users.
An opposition MP reacted strongly by tweeting: " the legislators have organized a meeting to ask why the law is applied to them and why their tinted cars should be searched, " said MP Ramazan Bashardost. MPs accuse the police of abusing their authority and harassing them. The police, on the other hand, accuse the deputies of believing themselves above the law and abusing their privileges.
Privileges at the heart of the controversy
Each member is entitled to four armed guards for his protection. But often he has more. Some members do not hide the fact that until recently they still had rockets and mortars in their homes for their protection. A presidential decree put an end to this practice. Nevertheless habits have hard skin.
Authorities have also revealed that some MPs duplicate license plates to use a single plate for 4 or 5 vehicles. "It's against the law," say the leaders. Difficult, however, to rise against members of Parliament. Proof of this is with the Friday night incident.
An Internet user tweets: " Unfortunately, those who create laws in Afghanistan are those who are above the same laws ." " Legislators want complete immunity from the rule of law, " continues MP Ramazan Bashardost. You have to remind them that they are like ordinary citizens when they do not respect the law can you read on several posts on Facebook and Twitter.