KABUL, Dec 20: Delegates to the historic loya jirga said on Saturday that they were close to winding up a clause-by-clause deliberation on the draft constitution with most members favouring the presidential form of government for Afghanistan.

“This is a very good progress,” Afghan President Hamid Karzai told reporters on the steps of the Presidential Palace.

Mr Karzai, who said he would contest presidential elections due next June only if the loya jirga endorsed the system, had reasons to rejoice.

Dr Mohammad Siddique Patman, a jirga delegate, told reporters that most of the committees out of 10 committees formed to discuss various articles of the draft constitution, favoured the presidential system but “with some minor changes here and there.”

“The main spirit of the constitution would remain the same — presidential form, however, there could be some changes to empower parliament to endorse and ratify the cabinet nominated by the president,” Mr Patman said.

He said the committees had almost finished deliberations on 120 out of 160 articles of the draft constitution.

Mr Karzai, however, said many of the committees had agreed on 60 articles in their close-door sessions. He expressed the hope that the jirga would finish its work before the end of the year. “Let the jirga take as much time as it needs,” he remarked.

Another delegate, Mir Wais Yasini, however, declined to go into details. “I cannot say how much work has been done.” The committees are continuing their deliberations and I think they would either finish their work today or tomorrow,” he told reporters at a news conference.

The recommendations of the committees would then be presented before a full session for general debate,” he said.

Mr Yasini dispelled the impression that certain groups had expressed strong reservations. “What you call reservations or differences are in fact an expression of opinion.”

Another delegate Fatima Fatimi denied that certain delegates belonging to the Jamiat-i-Islami were boycotting the proceedings of the committees. “Most of them are attending the proceedings,” she said.

The Jamiat-i-Islami, headed by former Afghan president Prof Burhanuddin Rabbani, is opposed to the presidential system and wants a parliamentary form of government for Afghanistan, with more powers to parliament. It wants the loya jirga to first debate and vote over the form of government before moving any further.

There has also been a demand for more provincial autonomy in the proposed federal system in Afghanistan.

Women rights activists are also seeking constitutional safeguards. Safia Siddiqui said the delegates had the right to express their opinion. “They are representatives of the people and have the right to express their views,” she said.

She said she had seen a senior Jamiat leader at the meetings and did not think he was boycotting the proceedings.

Hardliners, mainly from the former Mujahideen groups, are calling for an explicit mention of Shariat to form the basis of laws with some pushing for a more moderate role for the religion and want a Western style democracy.

Security was tight at the Polytechnic Institute, the venue of the constitutional loya jirga. Streets leading to the venue have been sealed off by the Afghan National Army, police from the interior ministry and troops from the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

State television said authorities seized a rocket on the outskirts of the capital.