Afghanistan: Ashraf Ghani secures 2nd term as President

In Afghanistan, independent Election Commission announced that Ashraf Ghani has won a second term as President of the country. 

However, his closest opponent Abdullah Abdullah has refused to recognize the results and declared himself winner potentially endangering peace negotiations with the Taliban. Abdullah said, he is going to establish an inclusive government.

The Election Commission yesterday said, Ghani garnered 9,23,592 votes, or 50.64 per cent of votes that took place 28th of September last year. The country's Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah received 7,20,841 votes, or 39.52 per cent of votes.

Ghani and Abdullah head a fragile national



unity government that was put together under the US pressure after both leaders claimed victory in Afghanistan's 2014 elections.

 

Meanwhile, the Taliban has also rejected Ghani's win. It has posed a question to a US Peace Plan that calls for a reduction in violence after an expected agreement to be signed on 29th of this month between Washington and the Taliban. The agreement would pave the way for US troops to return home and it will end America's longest war.

Earlier, Hawa Alam Nuristani, head of the Election Commission, said that 1.8 million Afghan citizens voted in the election out of some 9.6 million eligible voters.