Ashraf Ghani was inaugurated as the new president of Afghanistan on Monday at a ceremony in the presidential palace marking the end of Hamid Karzai's 13-year rule since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001.
"I will abide by the constitution and other laws and protect their implementation," Ghani said in an oath administered by the chief justice.
The first democratic handover of power in Afghanistan's history has been far from smooth: the deal for a unity government was cobbled together only after months of deadlock over a vote in which both Ghani and opponent Abdullah Abdullah claimed victory.
The inauguration marks the end of an era with the departure of President Hamid Karzai, the only leader Afghans have known since a US-led invasion in 2001 overthrew the Islamist Taliban that had given sanctuary to al Qaeda.
Already-tight security was heightened around the capital Kabul ahead of the inauguration for fear Taliban insurgents might try to disrupt the ceremony or attack international dignitaries who flew in to attend.
Both foreign backers and Afghans hope that Ghani and Abdullah can put aside their acrimonious election rivalry and work to improve life in a country that has suffered war and poverty for decades.
"We expect both to fulfil the promises they made to the people," said unemployed Kabul resident Mohammad Sharif. "We, the people of Afghanistan, are monitoring their performance to see whether they can serve the people or not."
The new government inherits massive problems, including fighting an emboldened Taliban that in recent months has been launching ever more aggressive attacks as foreign troops draw down.
Ghani must also reset relations with the United States, which have soured in recent years under Karzai. One of Ghani's first acts as president is expected to be signing a bilateral security agreement to allow a small contingent of U.S. forces to remain to train and assist the new Afghan army and police.
Karzai has refused to sign it, but both Ghani and Abdullah are in favour of signing it promptly.
Read: News in Hindi and Newspaper
"I will abide by the constitution and other laws and protect their implementation," Ghani said in an oath administered by the chief justice.
The first democratic handover of power in Afghanistan's history has been far from smooth: the deal for a unity government was cobbled together only after months of deadlock over a vote in which both Ghani and opponent Abdullah Abdullah claimed victory.
The inauguration marks the end of an era with the departure of President Hamid Karzai, the only leader Afghans have known since a US-led invasion in 2001 overthrew the Islamist Taliban that had given sanctuary to al Qaeda.
Already-tight security was heightened around the capital Kabul ahead of the inauguration for fear Taliban insurgents might try to disrupt the ceremony or attack international dignitaries who flew in to attend.
Both foreign backers and Afghans hope that Ghani and Abdullah can put aside their acrimonious election rivalry and work to improve life in a country that has suffered war and poverty for decades.
"We expect both to fulfil the promises they made to the people," said unemployed Kabul resident Mohammad Sharif. "We, the people of Afghanistan, are monitoring their performance to see whether they can serve the people or not."
The new government inherits massive problems, including fighting an emboldened Taliban that in recent months has been launching ever more aggressive attacks as foreign troops draw down.
Ghani must also reset relations with the United States, which have soured in recent years under Karzai. One of Ghani's first acts as president is expected to be signing a bilateral security agreement to allow a small contingent of U.S. forces to remain to train and assist the new Afghan army and police.
Karzai has refused to sign it, but both Ghani and Abdullah are in favour of signing it promptly.
Read: News in Hindi and Newspaper
No comments:
Post a Comment