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Journalism of Courage
Afghan President Hamid Karzai backed down Saturday in a standoff with lawmakers that had threatened to spark a constitutional crisis,agreeing to scrap a one-month delay in convening the new Parliament,two legislators said.
Karzai had ordered the opening session postponed to allow more time for a special tribunal to investigate allegations of fraud in Septembers parliamentary election. That set off an outcry among lawmakers and drew heavy pressure from the United States,the UN and other world powers for Karzai to resolve the dispute and allow lawmakers to get to work.
After hours of discussions at the presidential palace,Karzai agreed to open the legislature on Wednesday,according to two of the lawmakers involved,Shukria Barakzai of Kabul and Gul Pacha Majidi of Ghazni province.
In return,Karzai asked the parliamentarians to agree that any criminal case against a lawmaker can go forward,said Mirwais Yasini,a representative from eastern Nangarhar province who was deputy speaker of the lower house of Parliament in the last session. The legislators agreed and have drafted a letter to send to the President on Sunday,Yasini said.
