Afghanistan's lower house of parliament on Saturday rejected a proposal by President Hamid Karzai's government to re-appoint the chief justice for a second term, an official said.
The lower house rejected Fazal Hadi Shinwari's reappointment by majority vote, citing his age. Shinwari is over 70. Many lawmakers say Shinwari, who has been the top judge since the Taleban movement were ousted in 2001, has been blocking judicial reforms and restricting freedom of speech.
"He has been rejected and the government will have to come up with a new nominee," said Mohammad Hasib Noori, a spokesman for the lower house. Last week the lower house turned down Karzai's proposed budget over expenditure and salary levels.
Separately, the upper house of parliament issued a non-binding call on Friday for a ban on the activities of the Senlis Council, a French think tank that has called for the legalisation of Afghanistan's poppy crop.
The council wants the crop - the main source of the world's heroin - to be licensed for use in pharmaceutical opiates. The upper house said the proposal was against Islamic scholars decrees and Karzai's policies.
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