Afghan presidential candidates agree to power sharing deal
Afghanistan's rival presidential candidates have signed a deal to create a unity government in which the two men will share executive powers.
Under the terms of the deal, Ashraf Ghani will become president while Abdullah Abdullah will serve as a chief executive, a position akin to prime minister. The agreement will allow for a peaceful transition of power from the government of President Hamid Karzai, who has led the nation since the U.S.-led invasion more than a decade ago.
"The Afghan people have been waiting for this happy day," Karzai said. "I hope the things I couldn't do, you two can do."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The deal comes after a months-long election that included a runoff and a contentious, U.N.-overseen audit. An agreement was believed to have been reached earlier in the week, but Abdullah refused to sign off on it unless the final vote tally from the runoff was kept secret.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.
-
The UK’s ‘wallaby boom’Under the Radar The Australian marsupial has ‘colonised’ the Isle of Man and is now making regular appearances on the UK mainland
-
Fast food is no longer affordable to low-income AmericansThe explainer Cheap meals are getting farther out of reach
-
‘The money to fix this problem already exists’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
