Northern Alliance chief 'willing to hand over power'

The head of the Northern Alliance says he is prepared to hand over power in Afghanistan to an interim government.

Burhanuddin Rabbani says he will do so as soon the country's leading factions reach agreement.

However, he sees himself as the leading candidate to head the interim administration.

The Northern Alliance will hold a majority of the seats when Afghan factions open a conference on Tuesday in Germany to set up a government to replace the ousted Taliban.

The former president told a news conference in Kabul he was in agreement with the United Nations and major powers, which are insisting on a multi-party government.

They say this will be the best protection against the disastrous factional fighting which marked Mr Rabbani's presidency from 1992 until the Taliban ousted him in 1996.

Mr Rabbani said: "As far as the efforts of the United Nations are concerned, we are on the same line, we have the same commitments."

He also said the northern alliance would not seek retribution against the Taliban or their foreign allies as long as they surrendered and handed over their weapons.

Reports that Arabs and other foreign fighters would be killed was "poisonous propaganda", Mr Rabbani said, adding: "We will discuss their fate along the lines of international law."

Taliban fighters have been surrendering in Kunduz. The Islamic movement still holds several provinces in the south.