Afghan presidential rivals sign power-sharing agreement

KABUL — Afghanistan's two presidential contenders signed an unprecedented power-sharing agreement Sunday, ending a drawn-out political standoff and setting the stage for a U.S. troop commitment past this year.

The agreement names Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, who received the most votes in a June runoff election, as president. His challenger, Abdullah Abdullah, a former foreign minister, will become chief executive.

"I am very happy today that both of my brothers, Dr. Ashraf Ghani and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, in an Afghan agreement for the benefit of this country, for the progress and development of this country, that they agreed on the structure affirming the new government of Afghanistan," President Hamid Karzai, in power since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion that ousted the Taliban, said after the signing.

Later Sunday, the country's election commission announced Ghani Ahmadzai as the winner of the presidential election, but it did not release final vote figures amid suggestions that doing so could inflame tensions. The commission was assigned to audit the results after allegations of widespread fraud.

The United States had urged the candidates to reach a power-sharing agreement in order to bring political stability to the country, which is battling a powerful insurgency and will need international assistance for years to come.

The White House lauded the two leaders, saying the agreement helps bring closure to Afghanistan's political crisis.

"This agreement marks an important opportunity for unity and increased stability in Afghanistan. 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," the White House said in a statement.

The deal is a victory for Secretary of State John Kerry, who first got the candidates to agree in principle to share power during a July visit to Afghanistan. Kerry returned to Kabul in August and has spent hours with the candidates, including in repeated phone calls, in an effort to seal the deal.

"This was a moment of extraordinary statesmanship. These two men have put the people of Afghanistan first, and they've ensured that the first peaceful democratic transition in the history of their country begins with national unity," Kerry said in a statement Sunday.

Under the agreement, the Afghan president will be responsible for setting strategic policy and the chief executive will be in charge of implementation, said Said Jawad, a former Afghan ambassador to the United States who closely monitored the talks. Each will be allowed to make half the cabinet appointments.

The heads of the defense, interior and intelligence ministries will remain in their jobs for three months to provide continuity, Jawad said. Afghanistan's government remains in a tough fight with Taliban insurgents as the U.S. and coalition troop contingent has decreased.

The agreement has the potential to create the type of government that eluded leaders in Iraq, where the United States failed to get a security agreement and removed all U.S. troops after 2011.

Tired after months of delays waiting for elections results, some Afghans expressed cautious optimism the country can move forward under the new deal.

Hashmat Saboor, 36, an engineer in Kabul, says he used to make decent money repairing generators for foreign non-governmental organizations. But after many departed over the past six months, he has opened a small workshop where he fixes generators in the capital out of desperation.

"I hope the next president will work honestly," he added. "That he will shore up factories and use Afghanistan resources from mines and oil and gas wells to end the lack of jobs and end the poverty that we face," he said. "Because we really have a lot of unemployment nowadays since NGOs began leaving Afghanistan."

Sameer Raoufi, 37, who repairs shoes on the streets of Parwan, north of Kabul, expressed relief that the wait for a new government was over.

"I am relieved for the future of Afghanistan — that will not fall into another civil war — because to be honest, this is what we all feared. The agreement will now let us breathe."

Still, others expressed concern.

"We all heard from Ashraf Ghani how he wants to make a lot of changes to the management of the economy but (these changes) would sink the economy even lower, because, for example, he wants to decrease salaries," said Faiz Mohammad Faizi, 31, who works in IT in Badakhshan, in northeastern Afghanistan.

"The government has to find solutions (now) otherwise the country will go into a bad ethnic crisis, which we are already witnessing, with people fighting against each other — also over these elections."

Ghani Ahmadzai and Abdullah have both agreed to sign a bilateral security agreement, which the United States said is needed before it will leave troops past the end of this year.

Karzai had refused to sign the agreement and had frequently antagonized the United States with his criticism of American airstrikes and policies.

Washington said it plans to leave a residual force of about 9,800 U.S. troops after this year. The force will be responsible for advising and assisting Afghanistan security forces and conducting counterterrorism missions.

Analysts said they believe the new Afghan leaders will be able to mend relations with America.

"Both are pragmatic," said Marc Chretien, a former top political adviser to the coalition command in Kabul. "Both will be able to work with the international community and will do a lot to shore up the damage that Karzai created between himself and the West."

Michaels reported from Washington. Contributing: The Associated Press