KABUL, Dec 27: Afghanistan’s Loya Jirga delegates were on Saturday wrangling over the draft constitution after President Hamid Karzai insisted on a strong presidency to prevent a slide back into conflict.

A committee of delegates to the jirga has been working to reconcile the conflicting views of President Karzai and powerful factional leaders on whether Afghanistan should have a presidential or parliamentary system.

They had been expected to finish their work to allow delegates to start voting in an open session on Saturday but discussions were continuing over eight articles among 38 under scrutiny.

“Among the 38 articles, they have agreed on 30 but there are eight which still need discussion,” Safia Siddiqi, a deputy chairperson of the jirga, told newsmen on Saturday and added: “They will discuss the eight articles today and the session will start tomorrow.”

She would not give any details of the contentious articles but delegates have been wrangling over the future form of democracy after Mr Karzai refused to compromise on his demands for a strong presidential system, despite calls for a strong parliament to offset the president’s power.

The 160-article document will be presented to an open session of all 502 delegates meeting in a tent here.

Voting on the draft is by simple majority, except on proposals to introduce a new article, which require approval by two-thirds of the members.

With most delegates apparently backing the presidential system, powerful mujahideen delegates including former president Burhanuddin Rabbani met Mr Karzai to discuss setting up of a council of former anti-Soviet fighters to advise the government.—AFP