Afghanistan inaugurated on Monday its first parliament after three decades of war with an emotional ceremony attended by US Vice-President Dick Cheney and followed by new criticism of warlords in the assembly.
The sitting of the first parliament since 1973 was crucial to securing the future of the war-ravaged country, President Hamid Karzai said after swearing in the parliamentarians, who include former warlords accused of rights abuses.
"Let me tell the world that Afghanistan is rising from the ashes of invasion and will live forever," Karzai said, his voice breaking with emotion.
His speech prompted applause and tears from the new MPs, most of whom wore the traditional shalwar kamiz and turbans for the historic occasion.
The opening of the parliament is the final step of a transition to democracy launched after the Taleban regime was toppled in a US-led invasion four years ago.
Milestones along the way included the adoption of a new constitution in 2003 and the October 2004 election that confirmed interim leader Karzai as president.
The ceremony took place under tight security because of fears of attacks by loyalists of the Taleban now waging a deadly insurgency against the US-backed government that has killed about 1,500 people this year.
Karzai praised the "great leaders" of the resistance to the 1979-1989 Soviet occupation for helping Afghanistan to its "victorious independence".
The parliament also includes a handful of former members of the Taleban, which took power in 1996 before being toppled after they did not surrender Osama bin Laden following the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
The presence of figures from Afghanistan's bitter past was condemned by firebrand MP Malalai Joya.
"I see the future of this parliament as very dark because of the presence of warlords, drug lords and those, whose hands are stained with the blood of the people," she told reporters after the ceremony. One of the former commanders accused of rights abuses, Abdul Rasul Sayyaf, dismissed such criticism, saying: "The parliament represents the reality of Afghanistan."
"The subject of warlords belongs to Afghanistan's past," said another MP and one-time presidential contender, Yunus Qanooni.
While warlords or people linked to them are estimated to make-up about two-thirds of the new legislature, according to analysts, there are several progressives, including many of the women who had 25 percent of seats reserved for them in the House of Representatives.
MP Shukria Barakzai said she could work with the former commanders "if they make a strong commitment to work for the benefit of the country".
The opening of the parliament was a "great day," she said. "I was very moved because I was brought up in wartime, so seeing the first session of parliament is a good thing."
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