KABUL – President Hamid Karzai opened Afghanistan’s parliament on Wednesday, ending a week-long stand-off with lawmakers who had threatened to inaugurate the legislature with or without him.
The ceremony held in a national assembly compound comes four months after the country held its second post-Taliban parliamentary elections, the results of which have met with massive controversy over claims of widespread fraud. “Congratulations to all of you,” Karzai told the lawmakers after swearing them in with the placing of a hand on a copy of the Koran.
Watched over by government ministers, local politicians, foreign diplomats and the head of US-led NATO forces in the country, General David Petraeus, Karzai urged the MPs to work together for Afghanistan’s future. “It is normal all over the world that at times of election there is competition. But when the elections are over national unity starts, when the competition is over cooperation and service starts,” he said.
“I hope, given the dangers our country faces and also given the opportunities that we have for the future – a bright, prosperous, happy and strong future – that we can put our hands together and lead the country to a place that every person in this country hopes for.” The embattled president had last week said he would delay the opening of parliament for a month to allow time for a special tribunal to investigate claims of irregularities in September’s parliamentary elections.
He told losing candidates protesting at his palace on Tuesday that his decision to go ahead with the ceremony had been influenced by foreign hands. “Some foreign hands questioned our decisions and started instigation to create crises in our country,” Karzai said, according to a statement released by his office earlier. They “kept provoking candidates (winning MPs) that they should inaugurate the parliament without the president’s participation and that we will support you,” the statement quoted the president as saying.
