ISLAMABAD – Afghanistan lurched deeper into political crisis Monday as therivals for the country’s leadership had themselves sworn in at simultaneousceremonies that were interrupted by at least two blasts.
The militant Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack nearthe presidential palace.
“Caliphate soldiers targeted the inauguration of the tyrant Ashraf Ghani”,firing 10 rockets near the presidential palace in Kabul, the militant groupsaid in a statement released via its usual social media channels.
The bitter feud between President Ashraf Ghani and his former chiefexecutive Abdullah Abdullah has raised fears for Afghanistan’s fragiledemocracy as the United States prepares to leave the country following anagreement last month with a strong and largely unified Taliban.
Polls were held in September, but repeated delays and accusations of voterfraud meant that Ghani, the incumbent president, was only declared aswinner of a second term in February — sparking a furious response fromAbdullah, who vowed to form his own parallel government.
Dressed in traditional Afghan clothing and white turban, Ghani arrived atthe presidential palace to be sworn in on Monday, surrounded by supporters,senior political figures, diplomats and foreign dignitaries including USspecial envoy Zalmay Khalilzad.
Minutes earlier, in another corner of the sprawling presidential palacecompound, a suit-clad Abdullah inaugurated himself as president, vowing to“safeguard the independence, national sovereignty, territorial integrity”of Afghanistan.
Ghani’s ceremony was disrupted by the sound of two rockets hitting the edgeof the compound of the presidential palace compound in the capital Kabul,*Reuters* witnesses said, but there was no word of any casualties and hecontinued his speech.
“I have no bulletproof vest on, only my shirt,” Ghani told those who stayedbehind as sirens wailed.
“I will stay even if I have to sacrifice my head.”
An *AFP* reporter saw many of those who fled return to their seats afterGhani’s refusal to leave the podium prompted cheers and applause.
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Ghani said in a speech that the government he was forming would not includeonly members of his political camp though he would continue with theprevious cabinet for two weeks.
“Then we will form an inclusive government after consultation,” he said.
He plans to finalise a negotiating team for talks with the Taliban onTuesday and to make a further announcement on demands by the militant groupfor the release of 5,000 prisoners.
The Taliban, which ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 and have been wagingan insurgency since shortly after its fall from power, have made theirrelease a condition for talks but Ghani said last week he had rejected thedemand.
Diplomats are now waiting to see whether Abdullah appoints rival ministersand governors and whether they take up office by force, said two diplomaticsources who declined to be named.
The game of thrones has strained the patience of the internationalcommunity and Afghans alike, with Washington warning earlier that thebickering posed a risk to the US withdrawal deal, which requires theTaliban to hold talks with Kabul.
Widening divisions among Afghan politicians would leave the insurgents withthe upper hand in those negotiations.
Earlier, the morning ceremonies were postponed, and guests kept waiting,while Khalilzad tried to broker a last-minute deal between the longtimepolitical foes, but there was no immediate word of a breakthrough. Ghaniand Abdullah have been holding talks with Khalilzad as he tries to secure adeal between the two camps, an official for Ghani said earlier on Monday.
“We have been in serious negotiations with the Abdullah team since lastnight, and it is still underway,” the official said, requesting anonymitybecause he was not authorised to speak to media. Details of the talks werenot made available.
