Former King Wants Broad-Based Afghanistan Government
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: With all of this changing so rapidly, ever more urgent now -- the need to put together an interim government in Afghanistan, particularly in the north. One key component to that, we are told, is the former king of Afghanistan, Mohammed Zahir Shah. CNN's Jim Bittermann has more on him.</s>JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With the Northern Alliance on the streets of Kabul, the political future of Afghanistan looks to be sealed in short order. But advisers to the former Afghan king hope not.</s>ZALMAI RASSUL, ADVISER TO FORMER KING: We have the experience of the past. If you want it bring durable and just peace in Afghanistan, all sector of the Afghan society should be involved. One side can not work in Afghanistan.</s>BITTERMANN: The former king's advisers worry about the former president, Burhanuddin Rabbani. Rabbani's rule was considered ethnically divisive. Some say it led to his downfall and gave rise to the Taliban. And since September 11, the king's advisers blame Rabbani for frustrating their efforts to form a broad-based, post- Taliban government. Once more, aides to the king were shocked that after negotiating assurances from the Northern Alliance six weeks ago that its military forces would not enter Kabul until a political structure was in place -- a deal negotiated by Rabbani's interior minister -- the interior minister himself turned out to be one of the first people to enter Kabul Tuesday.</s>RASSUL: We were surprised by the fact that they entered into Kabul. We need to discuss with them to see now what's going to happen. Maybe there were pressured, maybe there was difference among them. I don't know. But that's true that they had promised to not enter Kabul</s>BITTERMANN: The former king is following the lead of United Nation's diplomats, hoping as they do that a broad representative government can be formed so that the ethnic divisions which plagued Afghanistan in the past can be avoided now. (on camera): In a statement issued on the eve of the Muslim holiday of Ramadan, the former Afghan king urged his people to unify, remain calm and avoid vengeance. He promised to return to his homeland soon and that representatives of all Afghan people will be brought into government. (voice-over): But the planning for more enlightened politics for Afghanistan was taking place even as Kabul and other cities were falling into the hands of supporters of Rabbani and the Northern Alliance, realities it seems, which could put in jeopardy the high- mighted hopes. Jim Bittermann, CNN, Rome.