Amid explosions, Ashraf Ghani, his rival take oath as Afghan ‘presidents’

at 7:54 pm

New Delhi (NVI): Afghanistan’s two rival leaders– Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah — declared themselves as presidents as two bomb explosions rocked their swearing-in ceremonies in Kabul, reports in foreign media said.

While Ghani took oath for the second term, his rival Abdullah also declared himself as president in a simultaneous ceremony.

The development comes just a week after the US signed a peace deal with the Taliban in Doha in an effort to end the 18-year-old war in Afghanistan and withdraw their forces.

As the twin explosions rocked Ghani’s speech today, he continued with his speech. Shaking videos of him taking oath as Afghan President did rounds on social media as soon as the incident took place.

Ashraf Ghani’s rival Abdullah Abdullah who also declared himself as Afghan President in a parallel ceremony, in Kabul.

President Ashraf Ghani was declared the winner in elections held last September. His rival Abdullah Abdullah, who charged fraud in the vote along with the elections complaints commission, refused to settle differences with Ghani and declared himself as President in a parallel ceremony held in Kabul today.