AFGHANISTAN: Afghanistan's grand assembly, called to form a government after 23 years of conflict, has been delayed until today because too many delegates showed up for the historic event, a spokesman for the assembly said.
Diplomats and officials say Afghan leaders were arguing about the role of ex-King Mohammad Zahir Shah in the future government, but the former king said he was not a candidate for the top job and was not seeking to restore the monarchy.
More than 2,000 Afghans showed up yesterday at a German beer tent being used as a venue for the week-long assembly - several hundred more than the 1,501 delegates accredited to participate in the Loya Jirga, a spokesman, Mr Abdul Salam Rahimi, said.
The Loya Jirga Commission announced the assembly would be delayed until today, while it drew up a new list of delegates.
"We are drawing up a final list of delegates who can vote," Mr Rahimi said. "That is what we're working on." He said the mood among delegates was "very good, very optimistic". Asked if tempers were fraying, he said: "No".
Officials denied earlier reports that gunmen from one of the factions in the interim government had staged a show of force at the venue.