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Ghani Declared Afghanistan President
9-24-2014
KABUL – A few hours after signing the power sharing deal, Ashraf Ghani has been announced as Afghanistan’s new president, ending months of political turmoil that followed disputed June elections.
"The Independent Election Commission declares Ashraf Ghani as the president, and thus announces the end of election process," commission chief Ahmad Yousaf Nuristani said without declaring the number of votes for each candidate or the turnout figures, BBC reported on Sunday, September 21.
According to the new deal, power will be shared between the former finance minister Ashraf Ghani and rival Abdullah Abdullah, a former foreign minister.
While Ghani will be the president, Abdullah was nominated as the government chief executive "with powers similar to those of prime minister".
In defiance of possible violence and fraud, about eight million Afghan voters participated on last summer’s poll.
The largely peaceful elections at its beginning have turned into violence after trading fraud accusation between candidates.
Of Afghanistan’s population of 29 million, more than 99 per cent are Muslims.
Shiites make up about 15 percent of Afghanistan’s population.
Pashtuns, the nucleus of the social and political fabric of Afghanistan, compromise 38 to 44 percent of the population.
Tajiks are the second ethnic group, compromising up to 25 percent of the total population.
Hailed
The signing of the power sharing deal has been praised by the outgoing president Hamid Karzai, seeing it as a step “for the progress and development of this country”.
"On behalf of the Afghan nation, I am congratulating them on this understanding and agreement," Karzai said in his speech.
A similar praise has been expressed by the US that considered the deal an "important opportunity for unity".
"We support this agreement and stand ready to work with the next administration to ensure its success," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.
Afghans have also welcomed the deal after months of turmoil that stalled economy and destabilized security.
"The six-month election deadlock damaged life for Afghans," Kabul resident Mohammad Alim told Reuters.
"We didn't have normal sleep, investors fled from Afghanistan, people were worried about their future ... but today people are relaxed and happy."
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