Rivals seek Afghan seat at OIC ministerial meeting
Rivals seek Afghan seat at OIC ministerial meeting
JAKARTA (JP): The opening day of the 24th meeting of foreign
ministers of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) was hit
with a quandary yesterday as Afghan delegates from opposing sides
sought to occupy a seat in the meeting.
Representatives from the Taleban militia and those loyal to
ousted President Burhanuddin Rabbani are here in Jakarta vying
for the Afghanistan seat in the OIC meeting.
Despite being permitted to sit through the opening session,
both sides were officially barred from participating or entering
the plenary and committee sessions of the meeting.
Indonesia's Director General of Political Affairs Izhar
Ibrahim told The Jakarta Post yesterday that the organization has
not determined which party would have the right occupy the Afghan
seat.
"It's still under negotiation," replied Izhar about the
predicament.
Taleban forces in September took Kabul and set up a new
government in the city. However those loyal to President Rabbani
have begun a counteroffensive and continue trying to retake the
city.
The presence of two opposing forces claiming to represent
Afghanistan has left the OIC in a crux.
A senior officials meeting of the organization in Jeddah,
Saudi Arabia, earlier in the year agreed to leave the seat vacant
and let ministers during their meeting here decide which side
should occupy it.
Izhar yesterday said he hopes the current meeting can come up
with a decision on the matter.
However other delegates have indicated that the ministerial
meeting would probably defer making any quick decision given the
fluidity of the situation in Afghanistan.
A. Farhadi, a delegate representing Rabbani's faction,
yesterday vigorously argued that his side had the right to take
the seat.
"We would like the plenary to adopt a resolution which will be
in favor of our presence in this meeting," said Farhadi who is
Afghanistan's permanent representative at the United Nations.
Farhadi pointed out that Afghanistan is a founding member of
the OIC and has never been absent during the organization's
meetings.
He maintained that "no country has recognized the Taleban"
thus there is no reason why the plenary should do so and give
them the right to take the seat.
When asked whether it would be possible for 2 representatives
to sit in Afghanistan's chair, Farhadi quickly retorted: "No,
this will never happen."
Delegates from the 53-member states of the OIC are attending
the meeting which was opened yesterday by President Soeharto. The
meeting will end on Friday.(mds)