Afghan Old Guard Sets Up Opp. Party

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- A group of Afghan warlords and lawmakers say they have set up the country's first opposition party in 14 years in a bid to pressure the government to deliver on its economic and security promises.

Abdul Rasool Sayyaf, a leader of the new Afghanistan Protection and Stability Council and a former militia commander, said his party was "not an anti-government body" but sought "fundamental reforms to the way government operates."

President Ashraf Ghani took office last year promising to end the 14-year war with the Taliban and improve the moribund economy, but has made little progress.

The APSC was inaugurated in the capital, Kabul. It is the first opposition party to be established since the Taliban were toppled in 2001.

Sayyaf said the council's first demand was for electoral reform.

(KA)