2003 loya jirga

On December 14, 2003, a 502-delegate Loya jirga convened beneath a large tent on the grounds of a Soviet-built university in Kabul, Afghanistan to consider the Proposed Afghan Constitution. One hundred of the delegates were women. Former Afghan King Mohammad Zaher Shah addressed the assembly after a dozen children in traditional dress sang songs of peace and waved Afghan flags.

By a majority vote of 252, Sabghatullah Mujadidi was elected the chairman. The voting produced outrage from many of the women delegates. However, Mujaddedi selected Safia Sediqi for the fourth deputy position, and he named two other women as deputy's assistants.

Delegates from the Tajik-dominated Northern Alliance quickly emerged as interim President Hamid Karzai's main rival. Claiming the support of 241 delegates, they spoke in favor of a parliamentary system and against a strong presidency. They also demanded that 50 delegates picked by Karzai be denied voting rights; however Mujadidi rejected the idea.