Rockets launched as Afghan president and rival are both sworn in
AFGHANISTAN’S rival leaders held competing presidential inaugurations yesterday, as the country lurched deeper into political chaos, complicating attempts to start peace talks with the Taliban.
Ashraf Ghani held a swearing-in ceremony in Kabul, only for Abdullah Abdullah, his challenger, to proclaim himself president moments later. Afghan news bulletins showed the rival ceremonies in split screen.
Several rockets landed close to Mr Ghani’s ceremony, highlighting the precarious security in the country 10 days after the US signed a deal with the Taliban to begin a troop withdrawal. US diplomats unsuccessfully spent Sunday shuttling between the rival camps trying to broker a compromise and prevent a destabilising rift.
Mr Ghani appealed for calm and told supporters he was willing to sacrifice himself for Afghanistan. No casualties were reported. Islamic State later claimed responsibility for the attack.
Afghanistan now faces competing administrations while its leaders are due to begin formal talks with the Taliban aimed at finding a political settlement as US troops withdraw.
Mr Ghani, the incumbent, was declared the official winner of the Sept 2019 poll, but Dr Abdullah claimed he was cheated out of victory. Polling drew a tiny turnout and was marred by insecurity and a convoluted counting and complaints process. Kai Eide, a former UN chief in Afghanistan, called the situation “terribly sad and dangerous”. “This simply cannot continue,” he said. “Strong unity is required, not destructive rivalries.”
Rahmatullah Nabil, a former head of the Afghan intelligence service, said it was a major failure for the US and its allies. He added: “I am sure they are feeling ashamed with this fake democracy and their fake technocrats. You were part of all this mess, not just Afghans.” Zalmay Khalilzad, Donald Trump’s peace envoy to Afghanistan, was reported to have spent until midnight trying to forge some kind of power sharing agreement between Mr Ghani and Dr Abdullah. Mr Ghani’s offer to give his rival 40 per cent of cabinet posts was rejected.
The stand-off echoed the 2014 election when the US brokered a powersharing deal and the post of chief executive was created for Dr Abdullah.
Michael Kugelman, the deputy director of the Asia Program at the Washington-based Wilson Centre, said Kabul “has quite the new political mess on its hands”.
He added: “Ambassador Khalilzad has his work cut out for him, again. That deal with the Taliban he so painstakingly worked out? It’s at risk of being all for naught, thanks to the latest, and very serious, political crisis.”
Under the Feb 29 deal between the US and the Taliban, the militant group had been due to start talks with Afghan leaders on March 10. Mr Ghani has yet to pick a negotiating team.