AFGHANISTAN - Nov. 27 - Conference In Bonn Begins.

Under the auspices of the UN, four Afghan factions begin the conference in Bonn on the establishment of a representative, interim administration. At the opening session, German FM Fischer says the world is prepared to provide billions of dollars of aid to help rebuild the country, with some $70m coming from Germany alone. "But this readiness is linked with clear expectations", he says, urging the delegates "to forge a truly historic compromise that holds out a better future for your torn country and its people". In a message to the conference, UN Sec-Gen. Kofi Annan says the delegates "must prove the sceptics wrong and show that you can choose the path of compromise over conflict". Fischer says the conference should form the administration willing to share power with all ethnic groups, respect and protect human rights and guarantee "the rights and dignity of women". In the opening speech, the head of the Northern Alliance delegation Yunus Qanuni, who is interior minister and an ethnic Tadjik, says: "We are in a new era and we have the chance to become the champions of peace. It is not our intention to monopolise power. It will be our pride to work for a broad-based government based on the will of the people of Afghanistan. We want a system in which all Afghans - including women - participate in an equal manner in the structures of power". On Nov. 28, the Northern Alliance and royalist delegations met "to talk about how to form an administrative council and agreed to begin to exchange names", a senior diplomat said. The head of the Northern Alliance delegation Yunus Qanuni ruled out a role for the deposed king Mohammad Zahir Shah, 87, and said there was "no need" for foreign peacekeepers. (A Western diplomat said Britain is "probably prepared to provide the leadership and core of a peacekeeping force in Kabul if there's a demand for it". US officials emphasised that Washington had made no judgement yet about whether such a peacekeeping force was necessary. Afghan factions are eager to have a multinational peacekeeping force in Kabul to show that the Northern Alliance does not rule alone). But Qanuni said: "We prefer that security is looked after by Afghan forces themselves, a force consisting of different ethnic groups and different forces. There is complete security in Kabul, and if we need extra security we can bring in other ethnic groups". But a multinational force "can be part of a comprehensive peace package", he said, implying that it was a bargaining chip in the negotiations. "In the future system, we want the Afghan people to express their will through a loya jirga [a form of constituent assembly of elders]. In that case, the former king, who is a veteran politician and a national figure, can have a role in the transitional period if approved by the people". On Nov. 29, Daoud Yakub, a member of the delegation loyal to Zahir Shah, said that there was general agreement on a provisional national council of between 150 and 200 members, with the possibility of adding more names to better represent Pashtun ethnic groups. A provisional executive of about 15 to 20 administrators would also be chosen. Women would also be represented. But the key disputes will also come over the percentage of seats and posts each faction might get. On Nov. 30 the talks continued despite the departure of the senior representative of the southern Pashtun ethnic group Abdul Qadir, who left late at night on Nov. 29. It was unclear whether he departed for political reasons - because he was unhappy about Pashtun representation in the prospective transitional government - or as a result of differences among the various Pashtun representatives. However, his departure could be a setback for the talks.