Karzai set to become new Afghan leader

Afghanistan opened its grand council to choose a new government today, shortly after the nation’s former president bowed out of the race for head of state, removing the last major challenger to interim leader Hamid Karzai.

Last-minute dealmaking, however, left some delegates disillusioned that the process of selecting a new government had been usurped by foreign powers and special interests.

‘‘This is not a democracy,’’ Women’s Affairs Minister Sima Samar complained after the opening session. ‘‘This is a rubber stamp. Everything has already been decided by the powerful ones.’’

The council, or loya jirga, convened Tuesday afternoon in a huge, carpeted, air-conditioned tent, where the 1,550 delegates are to choose a new government to lead the nation from the devastation of war.

The session adjourned for the day about two hours later and was to resume Wednesday.

The session was suspended for about a half hour until the arrival of the aged, former king, Mohammad Zaher Shah, who formally convened the loya jirga.

Hours before the council convened, Burhanuddin Rabbani, president of post-communist Afghan governments, said he was withdrawing his candidacy for head of state and supporting Karzai.

‘‘I am proposing Chairman Karzai as the sole candidate before the loya jirga,’’ Rabbani told reporters.

On Monday, Zaher Shah renounced any role in the new government and backed Karzai, dashing hopes of some delegates that he would stand for head of state.

The ethnic Tajik clique that dominates the current administration opposed any role for the king, and their objections to his possible candidacy forced a one-day delay in the start of the loya jirga.

Rabbani is an ethnic Tajik. It appeared that deals had been cut for him and Zaher Shah, an ethnic Pashtun, to step aside, possibly in exchange for posts for their allies in the new government.

‘‘We came into Kabul as warriors, as conquerors. We had full control of the city,’’ Rabbani said, referring to the takeover of Kabul by his Northern Alliance fighters in November. ‘‘But we made concessions then for the best interest of the country. And now we do this again.’’

He said he expected to play a role in helping the new head of state choose a Cabinet.

Karzai, clearly aware of strong support for the king, lavishly praised the former monarch during his opening speech, telling the delegates that Zaher Shah would be given the formal title of ‘‘father of the nation’’ and accorded many of the perks and honours normally reserved for a constitutional monarch even without the title.

Karzai said the former king would open the future national parliament and the constitutional commission, award titles and medals and be allowed to move back into the royal palace ‘‘where he lived before.’’

‘‘Afghans want an end to a nation of armed people,’’ Karzai told the delegates. ‘‘My greatest hope is that Afghans will have their country back.’’

Last-minute politicking and dealmaking left many delegates disillusioned, feeling that the selection of leaders had been scripted in advance by the outgoing leadership under pressure from the United States.

Samar, the women’s affairs minister, said it appeared the old warlords, including Rashid Dostum and Ismail Khan, would still have a strong role in the new line-up.

‘‘All of them are there,’’ she fumed. ‘‘None of them have left.’’

Khalilzad urged all ethnic groups to put aside past rivalries and use the loya jirga to form a broad-based government. He said ‘‘significant’’ changes must occur for the transitional government to be accepted by most Afghans.