{"id":52118,"date":"2014-09-29T15:41:33","date_gmt":"2014-09-29T15:41:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=52118"},"modified":"2014-09-29T15:41:33","modified_gmt":"2014-09-29T15:41:33","slug":"ashraf-ghani-sworn-in-as-new-afghan-president","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2014\/09\/ashraf-ghani-sworn-in-as-new-afghan-president\/","title":{"rendered":"Ashraf Ghani sworn in as new Afghan president"},"content":{"rendered":"
Ashraf Ghani has been sworn in as Afghanistan’s new president, replacing Hamid Karzai in the country’s first democratic transfer of power.<\/p>\n
The Kabul ceremony followed six months of deadlock amid a bitter dispute over electoral fraud and a recount of votes.<\/p>\n
Under a US-brokered unity deal Mr Ghani shares power with runner-up Abdullah Abdullah who becomes chief executive.<\/p>\n
Two bombs killed at least 15 people as Mr Ghani was sworn in. The Taliban call the deal a “US-orchestrated sham”.<\/p>\n
One blast near Kabul airport killed at least seven people. A second attack in eastern Paktia province left another eight dead, officials said.<\/p>\n
The Taliban said they carried out both attacks.<\/p>\n
At the swearing-in ceremony attended by up to 100 dignitaries at the presidential palace in Kabul, Mr Ghani took an oath to abide by the constitution.<\/p>\n
He said he would work for long-term peace, promised to tackle corruption and said constitutional changes were needed.<\/p>\n
“Security is a main demand of our people, and we are tired of this war,” Mr Ghani said. “We ask opponents of the government, especially the Taliban and Hezb-e-Islami [another militant group], to enter political talks.”<\/p>\n
Analysis: David Loyn, BBC News, Kabul<\/strong><\/p>\n In his long first speech after being sworn in as the new Afghan president, Ashraf Ghani promised reform, development, an end to poverty, measures against corruption, and a clean-up of the judiciary.<\/p>\n But he knows that he can do nothing without security. In a year when the Taliban are conducting their biggest offensives since they fell from power in 2001, he said Afghan people were tired of war and wanted peace.<\/p>\n He talked about the crisis in Syria and Iraq, and said that Afghanistan was an Islamic country that understood about jihad after Islamic guerrillas defeated the Russians in the 1980s. He said the country did not need any lessons from foreign fighters.<\/p>\n The former World Bank economist has ambitious plans for change, but now needs to make his coalition work, with his defeated election rival Abdullah Abdullah.<\/p>\n Mr Ghani praised the country’s “first democratic transfer of power” and also spoke warmly of his rival, and now partner in government, Dr Abdullah. His first act as president was to sign the decree creating the new role of chief executive.<\/p>\n Dr Abdullah, who takes on the job which has prime-ministerial powers, said the two leaders would work together “for a better future with trust and honesty”.<\/p>\n Earlier outgoing President Hamid Karzai, who has been leader since the US-led invasion in 2001, called for people to support the new government.<\/p>\n Security in the capital was tight, with few people on the streets and shops closed.<\/p>\n