South Asia News
Opposition leader to stay away from meeting on Afghan-US deal
Nov 13, 2011, 12:21 GMT
Kabul - Afghanistan's opposition leader Abdullah Abdullah on Sunday announced that he would not participate in the meeting that is to decide on a strategic partnership agreement with the United States.
The head of the Change and Hope Movement and former foreign minister said the Loya Jirga, or grand assembly, which is scheduled for Wednesday was unconstitutional.
'In the presence of lower and upper houses, it is against the constitution to hold a Loya Jirga,' Abdullah said in the capital Kabul.
The meeting of some 2,030 tribal elders and officials from across the country is to decide on negotiations between Afghanistan and Washington on the partnership agreement to be finalized ahead of the planned withdrawal of NATO forces in 2014.
According to Abdullah, the delegates 'are mostly unaware of the contents of the partnership agreement.'
He said: 'Even I am not aware of the contents of this agreement.'
President Hamid Karzai, in a statement Saturday, said the meeting would go ahead.
'Although the talks on strategic partnership with the US are not finalized, consulting the country's representatives is an important step and therefore the traditional Jirga will take place ... on the date already assigned,' said Karzai.
A spokesman for the US embassy in Kabul said negotiations between the two sides on the agreement were ongoing.
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