Addressing the inauguration of the Jirga, President Ghani's Special Envoy Umer Daudzai said at least 3,200 delegates and 300 guests have attended the event.
Only marginally outnumbering the Dem POTUS Candidates for 2020
"Mr. President, I assure you that every district has delegates in the Jirga," Daudzai said. "We also asked the Taliban
...mindless ferocity in a turban...
to not stop people and the delegates from attending the Jirga. We thank the Taliban for listening to our call and we call on them to listen to the message of Jirga delegates."
Daudzai said delegates from Afghan refugees in Iran and Pakistain have also attended the Peace Jirga.
He added that the Peace Jirga was organized in at least 40 days.
Addressing the event, President Ashraf Ghani
...former chancellor of Kabul University, now president of Afghanistan. Before returning to Afghanistan in 2002 he was a scholar of political science and anthropology. He worked at the World Bank working on international development assistance. As Finance Minister of Afghanistan between July 2002 and December 2004, he led Afghanistan's attempted economic recovery until the Karzais stole all the money. ..the Jirga will also seek ways to end war and violence in the country and that the delegates hope to find Afghanistan’s pathway for at least one century.
"It is a pride and exciting to see that 3,200 elected delegates have been gathered under one dignified umbrella from across Afghanistan to determine the framework of talks with the Taliban," Ghani said.
He said the families of both sides -- the Afghan government and the Taliban ‐ have paid the price for war and that he sees himself responsible to end the suffering.
"The four days of the Jirga will prove that you, the elected delegates of the nation, are the symbol of power and national unity and you are the owners of willingness, talent, understanding and views and you are hoping for peace and prosperity," said Ghani. "The political generation is changing. You, the delegates of all of Afghanistan, are the representatives of the new political generation and trust your judgment," Ghani said.