Ghani, rival Abdullah sign power-sharing agreement

Kabul, May 17

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah signed a power-sharing deal to end a month-long political stalemate that has hampered progress towards peace, Ghani’s spokesperson said on Sunday.

“The Political Agreement between President Ghani and Dr Abdullah Abdullah has just been signed,” spokesperson Sediq Sediqqi said on Twitter, adding that Abdullah would lead the council for peace talks and his team members would be included in cabinet. Other details were not immediately available.

Abdullah had disputed the results of September’s presidential election. Earlier this year, he announced the formation of a parallel government, undermining Ghani’s administration just as the US was trying to advance a peace process with the Taliban to end Afghanistan’s 19-year war.

The breakthrough comes as Afghanistan battles several crises, including a rapid spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic, which has resulted in 169 deaths in the region, and surging violence that saw dozens of people killed in attacks last week.

Abdullah previously served as Afghanistan’s “chief executive” under an earlier power-sharing deal but lost that post after he was defeated in a presidential election that incumbent Ghani won in September. —Reuters