Afghanistan’s presidential rivals sign deal for power-sharing government

Afghanistan’s rival presidential candidates signed a deal on Sunday to share power after months of turmoil over a disputed election that destabilized the nation at a crucial time as most foreign troops prepare to leave. Ashraf Ghani, a former finance minister who will be named president under the deal reached on Saturday night, embraced rival Abdullah Abdullah after they signed the agreement in a ceremony broadcast live on television.

We continue to call on all Afghans—including political, religious and civil society leaders—to support this agreement and to come together in calling for cooperation and calm.

Statement issued by the office of the White House press secretary

President Hamid Karzai’s spokesman, Aimal Faizi, said Ghani is expected to be sworn in as president within a week. He said one of Ghani’s first acts would be to sign a long-delayed bilateral security agreement with the United States to allow a small force of foreign troops to remain in Afghanistan after 2014. The power-sharing deal was signed even though the final results of a hotly contested June 14 runoff vote have yet to be released.

Middle East Afghanistan