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Journalism of Courage
Scores of delegates to Afghanistan’s Loya Jirga walked out of the grand Assembly on Monday, angry about ‘‘boring speeches’’ they say are deliberate delaying tactics aimed at avoiding key issues.
One delegate said that fresh fighting could erupt if the Assembly failed to agree on a new government. ‘‘There is no point hanging around listening to boring speeches so we’re leaving,’’ one of the delegates, Sayed Nimatullah, said.
‘‘(New President Hamid) Karzai should be here discussing important issues like the new Parliament. This is interference by foreign countries and a violation of the Bonn agreement.’’
The Assembly, which began last Tuesday, has become bogged down over the make-up of a new Parliament and the issue of forming a new Cabinet appears to have been put on the backburner. Karzai is to address the Assembly at 2100 IST.
The gathering, which appears to be making up the rules as it goes along, is expected to end on Tuesday.
Another delegate who joined the walkout from the giant tent where the meeting is being held said fighting could restart in the strife-torn country if the debating chamber failed in its task of creating a new government.
‘‘I am really disappointed with the Loya Jirga,’’ delegate Mullah Abdul Karim told reporters.
‘‘Governors and officials are telling people what to say in their speeches. I myself have been threatened into supporting Karzai and my first candidate was the former king (Mohammad Zahir Shah). This is just a Loya Jirga in name only.
‘‘The main issues have not been discussed so far. If it goes on like this, fighting could restart because Karzai does not have the support of the majority of the people,’’ he said.
The Afghan Foreign Ministry said there had been no walkout from the Assembly. ‘‘There has not been any walkout today by dissatisfied or satisfied delegates,’’ spokesman Omar Samad said.
‘‘The only people going in and out of the tent are delegates and guests who need water, fresh air or need to use the restroom.’’
