Afghanistan swears in new president

KABUL – Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai was sworn in Monday as Afghanistan’s new president, replacing Hamid Karzai in the country’s first transfer of power since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion toppled the Taliban.

A senior adviser to President Barack Obama said the change in leadership would allow Kabul to sign a long-awaited security pact on Tuesday permitting U.S. forces to remain in the country past the end of the year.

Moments after Ghani Ahmadzai took the oath, he swore in his election challenger, Abdullah Abdullah, as chief executive, fulfilling a political pledge he had taken to share power and defuse election tensions that had threatened to spark violence between the country’s north and southeast.

In his first speech, Ghani Ahmadzai called on the Taliban and other militants to join the country’s political process and lay down their weapons. However, insurgent violence on Monday killed at least 12 civilians and police officers.

READ MORE: Afghanistan names new president after power sharing deal

“We are tired of war,” Ghani Ahmadzai said in a televised address. “Our message is peace, (but) this doesn’t mean we are weak.”

Ghani Ahmadzai, a former World Bank official and Afghan finance minister, wore a dark black turban popular in the country’s south as he swore in his two vice-presidents and then Abdullah.

Abdullah, a former foreign minister, spoke first and thanked Karzai for his service and the people of the country for casting votes in the millions despite the threat of attack from Taliban militants who tried to thwart the election process.

“We are committed as one in the national unity government,” Abdullah said. “Our commitment will be fulfilled together as unified team to create national unity.”

Ghani Ahmadzai then congratulated Karzai for a peaceful and democratic transition of power, and he thanked Abdullah for making the national unity government possible. The new president also promised to confront the country’s endemic corruption.

“We want to be held accountable. I am your leader but I am no better than you. If I make mistakes, you should hold me accountable,” Ghani Ahmadzai said.

The change in presidents will allow Afghanistan to sign a deal Tuesday to allow American soldiers to remain in the country past the end of the year, said John Podesta, a senior adviser to President Barack Obama. U.S. Ambassador James Cunningham was to sign the agreement, while it was not immediately clear if Ghani Ahmadzai or a lower member of government would sign it.

The deal will allow about 10,000 American troops to stay in the country after the international combat mission ends Dec. 31. Karzai had refused to sign it despite U.S. threats of a full withdrawal in the absence of legal protections for American forces. U.S. officials have said that the delay in the deal’s signing does not affect plans for next year.

READ MORE: Taliban militants attack Afghan election HQ ahead of vote

Karzai – the only president Afghanistan and the West have known since the invasion – wore a wide smile as he greeted his presidential guards upon entering the palace. Karzai has said he is glad to be stepping down after more than a decade of what the U.S. ambassador recently said was one of the most difficult jobs in the world.

The inauguration caps a nearly six-month election season that began when ballots were first cast in April. A runoff election in June between Ghani Ahmadzai and Abdullah stretched on for weeks as both sides levelled charges of fraud. The United Nations helped carry out what it said was the most thorough recount in its history, a count that reduced Ghani Ahmadzai’s vote percentage from 56 per cent to 55 per cent, but still gave him the win.

But the real power struggle took place in marathon talks between the two sides, often brokered by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and other U.S. officials. The political deal they agreed to created the new position of chief executive that Abdullah will now fill.

The inauguration took place eight days after the political deal was signed between Ghani Ahmadzai and Abdullah. Though Kerry played a big role in reaching the agreement, the short notice of the inauguration date and events elsewhere in the Middle East did not allow him to attend.

Instead, the U.S. was represented by Podesta, counsellor to President Barack Obama. Other notable guests included Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain and Indian Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari.

As the inauguration unfolded in the heavily guarded presidential palace, two bomb attacks took place on the road connecting the country’s main airport with the palace. One roadside bomb did not result in any deaths or injuries, but a second attack about a kilometre (half mile) from the airport by a suicide bomber killed six or seven people, police officer Abdul Latif said.

WATCH: As Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai was being sworn as the new president of Afghanistan in the heavily guarded presidential palace, two bomb attacks took place on the road connecting the country’s main airport with the palace on Monday

A bigger attack took place in the eastern Paktia province. Police Capt. Mohammed Hekhlas said that a car bomb exploded near a government compound as gunmen attacked, sparking a battle that killed seven Taliban militants. Another police official, who gave his name as Azimullah, said four police officers and two civilians also were killed.

The violence and insecurity remained one of the top concerns of Afghans watching the inauguration.

“I hope Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai can bring peace and the rule the law in Afghanistan as former Afghan President Hamid Karzai could not bring peace,” said Abdul Rahman, a 30-year-old police officer. “Our people have been suffering from the instability and poverty.”