June 19, 2002	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 7, 1423

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

KABUL, June 18: Afghanistan’s Loya Jirga adjourned on Tuesday after a rowdy morning session in which plans and counter-plans were proposed for a new parliament, an issue that has occupied the assembly for days.

“Let’s not get too emotional,” said Loya Jirga chief Ismail Qasimyar. “We are going to discuss this formula in order to get out of this impasse and create this parliament.”

Qasimyar opened Tuesday’s session by disclosing President Hamid Karzai’s plan to form a 45-member committee from among the delegates to the Loya Jirga.

Karzai’s plan calls for the Loya Jirga to select five delegates from each of the country’s nine constituencies.

But delegates shouted their opposition and some left the giant tent, prompting Qasimyar to propose a second plan that also failed to please the meeting.

Under the second plan, there would be two representatives from each of the 32 provinces and one from every 20 delegates at the Loya Jirga. Fifteen women representatives would be elected by women delegates.

Many delegates were opposed to both proposals and shouted their objections. They want either two people from each of the 32 provinces, or one from each group of 10 delegates to the 1,500-plus Loya Jirga delegates.

Some delegates left the tent when they heard that Karzai would not address them until 5pm, others were furious about the parliament plans, fearing they would not be consulted and prompting calls for order.

“We people will walk out if the issue of the new parliament is not put to the vote,” delegate Ahmad Hussein said.—Reuters