Ghani sworn in as Afghan president for second term

Incumbent Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani was sworn in for a second five-year term on Monday, while his main election rival and government Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah also held a parallel presidential swearing-in ceremony. Ghani issued the first presidential decree shortly after taking the oath, appointing Mohammad Yousuf Ghazanfar as the president's special envoy on development, economic, commercial and alleviation of poverty affairs.

At the same time, government Chief Executive Abdullah held a parallel oath taking ceremony in the nearby Sapedar Palace. The Afghanistan's election commission said that Ghani secured 50.64 percent of the votes, winning a second term, and Abdullah came in the second place with 39.52 percent of the votes. It was the fourth presidential election in Afghanistan since the collapse of the Taliban regime in late 2001.