KABUL, Jan 28: Afghan President Hamid Karzai stood accused on Wednesday of signing a constitution into law that had been altered since its adoption this month by a Constitutional Loya Jirga, or Grand Assembly.

A group of delegates at the Loya Jirga, which wound up weeks of acrimonious debate over the blueprint for Afghanistan's future on January 4, said the changes could enhance Karzai's position in a presidential system that already gives him sweeping powers.

The group is led by Abdul Hafiz Mansoor, a vocal opponent to Karzai at the assembly who argued for a greater role for parliament at the expense of the president.

"You need to compare the signed constitution with the one that was approved," Mansoor told Reuters. "Karzai has changed four articles in a way that basically gives him more power and weakens the parliament."

Karzai's spokesman Jawed Ludin said that on Monday the president signed the version given to him by the government commission that drew up the blueprint. "He signed the one provided by the commission," he said, when asked if he had any reaction to Mansoor's comments.

One of the key changes highlighted by Mansoor was Article 50. The version signed into law on Monday says: "The state is obliged to adopt necessary measures for creation of a strong and sound administration and realization of reforms in the administrative system of the country."

But the version approved by the Loya Jirga said that the government should carry out the reforms "after the authorisation of the National Assembly". Another change was to Article 64, which describes the powers and duties of the president that include appointing and removing ministers, the attorney general, the head of the central bank, the head of National Security and of the Red Crescent.

The version signed by Karzai says the removal and appointments require the "acceptance" of the assembly rather than their "approval" as in the original."Are they minor changes?" asked Mansoor. "Of course not. We will talk to the U.N., to the international community about Karzai altering the constitution. And this has no legitimacy at all for us. He is basically strengthening his position by changing our national charter."

Karzai and his supporters in Washington have already been criticised by opposition delegates and Western observers for forcing through the constitution without any real debate.

Most of the key talks took place behind closed doors and involved only a small number of delegates as well as U.S. and U.N. officials. The United States was keen to avoid a blueprint that gave Islamic conservatives too much say in Afghanistan and bolstered the religiously and politically moderate Karzai.

The constitution, which outlines a strong presidential system with a bicameral parliament, is a key step towards the country's first democratic elections due to be held in June.

While the lack of security across much of the country has raised doubts over the timing of the vote, Karzai is widely expected to contest and win the presidential poll.

"The constitution is just a farce and will not solve Afghanistan's complicated crisis," said Mansoor. "Delegates approve a constitution and then Karzai alters it. Where is the democracy?"-Reuters