Some critics are boycotting the event, calling it a political stunt by the Afghan president.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, center, inspects an honor guard Monday during the first day of the Afghan loya jirga meeting in Kabul.
Ghani is seeking reelection to a second five-year term, and some of his rivals — including the current government’s chief executive, Abdullah Abdullah — have criticized the gathering as a campaign gimmick or a useless exercise. Numerous ethnic political leaders and former president Hamid Karzai are also boycotting it.
But even the influential Islamic cleric who will chair the meeting, Abdul Rasool Sayyaf, was reportedly reluctant to accept Ghani’s request to lead it. After U.S. diplomats and military officials as well as Ghani visited his home this past week, Sayyaf agreed. Then, as the president was speaking, a man rose and tried to interrupt him and was removed by security officials. The jirga is being held under extremely tight security, with schools and public offices closed and traffic movement restricted.
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