New Afghan President Mr Hamid Karzai failed today to break an impasse in the Loya Jirga, or grand assembly, over forming a parliament and naming a cabinet to take the country to general elections in 18 months.
In an eagerly awaited speech to some 1,600 delegates, Mr Karzai dodged the two issues that have paralyzed the assembly for days: composition of a legislature and the line-up of his cabinet.
An aide said later Mr Karzai was expected to announce his top ministers -- defense, interior, justice, finance and probably foreign affairs -- to the Loya Jirga tomorrow.
"We hope a decision on the key posts will be announced tomorrow," aide Mr Ashraf Qani Ahmadzai told a joint news conference with Foreign Minister Mr Abdullah Abdullah.
Mr Abdullah said that under the UN-sponsored Bonn accord that made Mr Karzai interim leader, only top posts would be presented to the Loya Jirga for approval with the final decision on the other cabinet posts resting with Mr Karzai.
The choice of cabinet members has been a bone of contention between Mr Karzai and the Loya Jirga, which insists on a mandate to approve all the ministers.
It was unclear whether the Loya Jirga would vote on the senior ministers or there would simply be an announcement of Mr Karzai's choices.
The Loya Jirga last week voted Mr Karzai president to run the country for 18 months before general elections are held. But a decision to elect a new parliament and on the cabinet has been bogged down in heated debate.
In his speech, Mr Karzai said only that he wants a transparent and accountable government with public participation and a series of commissions and advisers to guide him through the transition period to general elections.
"Afghanistan should move toward a pluralist government," he said, wearing his trademark lamb-skin hat and a western jacket. "Afghans should participate and share in government decisions and they have to be informed."
The UN-sponsored assembly, which convened last Tuesday, is part of an effort to restore peace and stability after 23 years of chaos and war. But some delegates were frustrated at the pace of proceedings.