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2 presidents-elect to hold parallel inaugurations in Afghanistan as crisis deepens

Afghan President-elect, Ashraf Ghani, and his rival Abdullah Abdullah are preparing to hold parallel presidential inaugurations on Monday, after the pair failed to reach a deal despite US mediation efforts.

The political infighting in Kabul does not seem to bode well for Afghanistan’s fragile democracy as the US prepares to leave the country following an agreement with the Taliban armed group last month, with President Donald Trump committed to ending America’s longest war.

Earlier in the day, Abdullah suspended his plan for parallel swearing-in event on the condition that Ghani would also follow through. But the Afghan president-elect decided to go ahead with the inaugural on Monday afternoon.

“The swearing-in ceremony … will be held in the afternoon,” Ghani’s spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said on Twitter.

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Both men issued invitations last week to parallel swearing-in ceremonies on Monday, after Abdullah had disputed last month’s decision by Afghanistan’s Electoral Commission to name Ghani as the winner of September’s election.

US Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad reportedly held meetings with both Ghani and Abdullah until late Sunday to convince them to pospone the inauguration.

Afghanistan’s Election Commission last month announced that Ghani had retained power by winning the September 28 election. But his long-time rival, Abdullah, rejected that and proclaimed himself winner.

The political crisis comes as the government is meant to be preparing for talks with the Taliban, to follow up on the February 29 pact between the United States and the Taliban fighters on the withdrawal of US troops after 18 years of war.

Ghani and Abdullah both held roles in the previous government under a US-brokered power-sharing agreement that followed the 2014 elections marred by fraud allegations.

A former foreign minister, Abdullah held the specially created post of Chief Executive in the outgoing government.

The Independent Election Commission (IEC) announced Ghani the winner on February 18. Under election law, the swearing-in ceremony for president must be held within 30 days of that announcement. (AlJazeera)

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