Afghanistan council makes progress

KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghanistan’s grand council made progress Sunday toward adopting a landmark post-Taliban constitution despite an enduring divide over President Hamid Karzai’s wish for a strongly centralized state.

Opinion appeared split on issues such as human rights and the powers of the president. But eight days into the council, or loya jirga, its chairman said he was ready to assess proposed amendments to the draft, which would then be put to a vote.

"The brothers and sisters have done a great job," Council Chairman Sibghatullah Mujaddedi said at a news conference. "I expect and hope that this debate won’t take much longer, because everyone has had ample chance to express their views."

Meanwhile, two rockets were fired into Kabul on Sunday night, police said, damaging a house in the north of the Afghan capital but hurting no one. One rocket landed on the kitchen roof of a house in a residential district about three miles north of the city center. It was unclear where the other rocket hit.

Karzai has pressed for swift ratification of the charter, which should lead to presidential elections next June and crown a two-year drive to stabilize the country after the fall of the Taliban.

Mujaddedi gave no indication of which way the majority were leaning on critical issues. But U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad met with Karzai and said Saturday that delegates appeared to favor a presidential system.

By Sunday evening, officials said nine of the 10 groups had concluded their talks, allowing a so-called reconciliation committee to begin comparing their findings today.