Jan

2011

5:43am, EST

Musadeq Sadeq / AP

Afghan President Hamid Karzai inspects a guard of honor to inaugurate the new parliament in Kabul, Afghanistan on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011. President Hamid Karzai swore in the country's new parliament Wednesday in a ceremony that marked the end of a drawn-out battle over whether the lawmakers would be able to start work despite ongoing investigations into electoral fraud.

New parliament inaugurated by Afghan president

By Elena Grothe

The Associated Press reports:

KABUL, Afghanistan — President Hamid Karzai swore in the country's new parliament Wednesday in a ceremony that marked the end of a drawn-out battle over whether the lawmakers would be able to start work despite ongoing investigations into electoral fraud.

It is still unclear whether a disputed tribunal looking into allegations of misconduct will be able to change the results of the September elections, but the 249 members of the lower house will now be able to start work immediately, rather than waiting until late February as Karzai had ordered last week.