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Discussions over composition of "grand council"

Afghans in Pakistan are anxiously awaiting the announcement of an independent special commission for the holding of an emergency Loya Jirga [grand council] in the summer. Following the establishment of the interim government in December the announcement of such a commission will be another important step in implementing the Bonn agreement signed by four Afghan factions. "The members of the commission should not come from among the warring factions," Afghan intellectual Habibaullah Rafie told IRIN from the northern Pakistani city of Peshawar on Wednesday. "They should be neutral figures, true representatives of the people with no crimes on their hand and well versed with Afghan political traditions and international politics," he added. He suggested that the UN should collect a list of nominees from all political factions and should include those individuals, which are recommended by more than one group. He added that in 1992 the factions agreed on an unanimous list of such people. "The commission will be an important determinant of future Afghan politics and any imbalance can lead to disastrous results," Rafie warned, adding that the UN should appoint the commission if the Afghan factions does not agree. "The representation of the ethnic groups should be balanced but merit should not be violated," he said. Spokesperson for Revolutionary Association of Afghan Women (RAWA), Danish Hameed, told IRIN that the involvement of democratic people was the key for the success of such a commission. "Unlike the Bonn talks and the interim government the commission should not be dominated by one faction," she added. Asked how women should be represented, she said "Women should have a presence but RAWA does not demand equal representation for women in such bodies." Hameed was hopeful that the international community would not abandon Afghanistan and would carefully monitor the political developments in the country. The Special Independent Commission is a significant part of the Bonn agreement. The commission will work on selecting representatives for the Loya Jirga, which will be held in June. The commission will also work on elaborating rules and regulations governing the Loya Jirga. Ahmed Fawzi, spokesman for the UN special envoy for Afghanistan Lakhdar Brahimi told reporters on Tuesday that the commission had not been formed yet. "The commission will be made up of 21 people. These 21 must be as geographically balanced as possible with the inclusion of women," he said, adding that the UN was working with the interim administration on the selection of impartial, independent and widely acceptable people.

This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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