Ghani, Abdullah to hold parallel inaugurations

Ashraf Ghani is set to swear in as president Monday, 9^th March, at the Presidential Palace. Abdullah, on the other hand, on the same day, is holding the inauguration at the Sapidar Palace.

Office of the Chief Executive says that negotiations among the two parties ended inconclusively and Abdullah Abdullah’s inauguration ceremony will be held tomorrow, 9^th March. The presidential palace also says that it holding the inauguration ceremony on the same day.

Moreover, Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah have invited each other and at the same time some embassies and countries to attend these two parallel inauguration ceremonies.

The released portrait on RTA shows Arg decorated for Ghani’s inauguration. Arg says that a great number of international and domestic guests are invited to the ceremony, including Muhsin Dawar and Ali Wazir, members of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement.

Sediq Siddiqi, presidential palace spokesman says that all the preparations have been taken for tomorrow’s ceremony and so many guests will attend the celebration of the republic’s victory.

Sapidar Palace, few steps away from the presidential palace, has been prepared for Abdullah’s inauguration ceremony.

Omid Maisam, a deputy spokesperson of the CE, says that the negotiations ended inconclusively, so the inauguration ceremony will definitely be held tomorrow.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs has called tomorrow off in Kabul for the presidential inauguration, with no names mentioned – Ghani or Abdullah – in the announcement.

These two political rivals have invited each other to their inauguration ceremonies; therefore, receiving invitations for the two parallel swear-in events has put the international and domestic invitees at a crossroad.

Shir Mohammad Akhundzada, a member of the House of Representatives, says, “We can’t make a decision which ceremony to attend. This is challenging.”

Nasib Muqbel, another member of the House of Representatives, said, “Having two presidents in one country is worrying.”

Sources say that Zalmay Khalilzad and other foreign diplomats’ efforts to settle the odds between the two rivals, Ghani and Abdullah, ended inconclusively. According to the sources, efforts for unifying both sides still continue.