http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2005/12/19/1359217-ap.html
Excerpt from article.
KABUL (CP) - Afghanistan marked another milestone in its march to democracy, inaugurating its first popularly elected parliament in decades on Monday in an emotional ceremony that brought the country's president to tears.
U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney looked on as the assembly opened amid tight security, saying it was "a privilege to be present" for the historical event. But concern remained over whether the legislature - heavy with regional warlords, but also including a tapestry of westernized former refugees, women and ethnic minorities - could be a constructive political force.
Ottawa issued a statement congratulating the new parliament on convening for the first time, saying it was a day "to reflect with pride on the remarkable progress it has made and to look with confidence to the future."
The assembly opened after a reading from the Qur'an, the national anthem and a folksong by schoolgirls dressed in brightly coloured robes. President Hamid Karzai, while acknowledging the country's problems with poverty, corruption and terrorism, hailed parliament as a symbol of unity.
"This is an important step toward democracy," he said. Karzai closed his speech by tearfully declaring that Afghanistan was "again standing on its feet, after decades of war and occupation."
Half of members of the 249-seat assembly are warlords, and many legislators lack basic experience. Some are illiterate. Still, the fact that a parliament is sitting at all is a victory for a country recovering from years of ruinous warfare and the repressive Taliban.
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