KABUL — The United Nations representative in Afghanistan held an unscheduled meeting with Afghanistan lawmakers Sunday in an effort to rescue a deal that Western diplomats say is critical to instilling democracy in this war-torn country. U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura’s desperate dash to the Intercontinental Hotel on Sunday evening underscored just how high the stakes are for the international community in resolving the conflict between members of parliament and Afghan President Hamid Karzai over when parliament will convene. Legislators on Saturday thought they had a deal with Karzai that would allow the new parliament to begin work on Wednesday, but by Sunday morning the deal appeared to be crumbling over a special election court the president had created.
