Kabul, Afghanistan ? Frustration mounted at Afghanistan’s loya jirga on Monday as the historic meeting approached its scheduled close with no sign of an agreement on how to form a legislature for the country.

Newly elected Afghan leader Hamid Karzai was to address the grand council in an effort to break the logjam, which reflects persistent ethnic tension, but his appearance was put off until the afternoon and did not start at the set time.

Frustration, openly evident on the floor of the loya jirga tent since Saturday, was even more visible Monday, which was supposed to be the final day of the council. Delegates grumbled about wasting time and wondered if a process designed to be democratic had either bypassed them or become simply unwieldy.

“We are just repeating the same discussions and hearing the same things,” said Abdul Qader Khan, a delegate from Kandahar. “There are issues that should be discussed. Karzai should have come here earlier and announce a Cabinet that is balanced.”

Talks have bogged down as delegates charged with establishing a legislature try to decide between an assembly based entirely on geography or one based on population.

“It’s a very sorry situation,” said Fatima Gailani, a delegate whose father, also a delegate, was a well-known leader in the war against the Soviets in the 1980s. “Such a small thing, (and) they’re giving the loya jirga a bad name.”

Loya jirga chairman Ismail Qasim Yar asked Karzai to address the 1,650 delegates after the assembly erupted in arguments and accusations Sunday over what kind of legislature should represent the country’s fragmented population.

On Monday, angry delegates left the tent by the dozens after Qasim Yar announced the morning session was devoted to more speeches _ and no action. As the morning session wore on, only about 10 percent remained inside.

The legislature is controversial because some ethnic groups _ notably the country’s largest, the Pashtuns _ fear a loss of power if the new assembly is based solely on geography. There are 32 provinces in Afghanistan and roughly half are Pashtun-dominated.

Karzai spent Sunday evening meeting with various delegates to discuss their concerns and proposals. He didn’t win everybody over.

“On a scale of zero to 100, I would put the progress at zero,” said Omar Zakhilwal, a delegate representing the eastern city of Jalalabad. “It’s been seven days and all we’ve done is elect a president _ with a result that was predetermined.

“I think this loya jirga is not about changing the system. This change has been resisted through intimidation, pressure, bribery and persuasion,” Zakhilwal said.

The loya jirga, based on Afghan tradition, convened last Tuesday under a U.N.-guided blueprint to chart the country’s immediate future. It drew more than 1,600 Afghan delegates from around the country and abroad in a two-step selection process that critics said was rife with intimidation and harassment.

The meeting was supposed to end Sunday but was extended until Monday. The foreign minister, Dr. Abdullah, has suggested extending the council for two more days.

The loya jirga has managed to accomplish only one of its major tasks _ choosing Karzai as president, which it did Thursday night. Still unresolved are the shape of the Cabinet and the form of the legislature.

Attempts to resolve the legislature question Sunday degenerated into shouting and finger-pointing after Qasim Yar offered delegates a choice of ways to select it _ either two representatives for each provinces, the initial idea endorsed by the loya jirga commission, or one representative for every 10 delegates.