Afghanistan's grand Assembly of tribal elders, charged with forming a government after 23 years of conflict, has been delayed until Tuesday, the interim government’s foreign ministry spokesman.Spokesman Omar Asamad quoted the head of the Loya Jirga Commission as saying the start of the Loya Jirga had been delayed for 24 hours, but no reason was given. Afghan and foreign sources said General Arif, the intelligence chief in the interim government headed by Hamid Karzai, had sent armed men into the German beer hall tent, imported especially for the Loya Jirga, where 1,501 delegates had gathered for the inauguration.But the sources said that was not the reason for the delay. The Loya Jirga, an Afghan decision-making institution that has been around for 1,000 years, had already been delayed several hours by disagreements between the Northern Alliance faction in the government and supporters of former king Mohammad Zahir Shah.Afghan and foreign sources said an apparent deal reached late on Sunday between the two groups had collapsed by Monday morning. They said under the deal, the Northern Alliance would give up the interior and foreign ministry portfolios in Karzai’s interim administration if Zahir Shah agreed to eschew any role in the next government.The differences reflect a historical North-South divide in the country between the mostly ethnic Tajiks, Uzbeks and other minorities in the North and the dominant Pashtuns of the South.For weeks, Afghan communities throughout the country have been choosing delegates to the Loya Jirga, while faction leaders involved in nearly a quarter-century of internal conflict have been feverishly trying to make backroom deals with each other. Zahir Shah told the BBC he would accept a role in the transitional government if that is what the delegates wanted. (Reuters)
