海角大神

A daily roundup of terrorism and security issues.

Afghanistan got a new president under a powersharing agreement this weekend, after months of tension following a disputed June runoff. But some observers worry that the extended political uncertainty, combined with the drawdown of most foreign troops and a troubled economy, has handed an advantage to Taliban insurgents.聽

Former finance minister Ashraf Ghani was named president-elect on Sunday, beating his rival, Abdullah Abdullah, who will join a unity government. Both sides had accused the other of electoral fraud, but聽no final vote tally was publicly announced, reports the BBC.

The Taliban released a statement Monday condemning the unity pact as a 鈥渟ham.鈥�

"Installing Ashraf Ghani and forming a bogus administration will never be acceptable to the Afghans,鈥� Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told journalists by e-mail. 鈥淭he Americans must understand that our soil and land belong to us and all decisions and agreements are made by Afghans, not by the US foreign secretary or ambassador."

The international community pushed hard for the deal: US Secretary of State John Kerry telephoned the rival candidates for weeks, encouraging them to find common ground, Reuters reports.

The president is slated to share power with a chief executive 鈥� who will be nominated by Mr. Abdullah. Mr. Abdullah could also take the position. Together, Mr. Ghani and the chief executive will manage key decisions and institutions, including the Army.聽

But there is skepticism over the agreement. 鈥淭hey have created a fabricated national unity government, and I don鈥檛 think such a government can last,鈥� Wadir Safi, a political analyst at Kabul University, told The New York Times.

海角大神 reports, "Essentially, there will be two power centers in the executive branch of government. Given the bad blood between the two camps, it will be a test of their political skills to keep it on track. And the result could be an even more bloated executive that costs more to run."

Both leaders support a long-delayed bilateral security agreement with the US, in part because of growing security challenges that have come out of the election uncertainty, The New York Times reports.聽

Ghani told citizens Sunday that poverty, income inequality, a lack of education, and insecurity are Afghanistan鈥檚 鈥渆nemies, and not their fellow citizens,鈥� reports The Associated Press.

"This victory isn't just about winning an election. It's a victory for democracy, for our constitution and for our future," Ghani said in a statement. "Together, we have turned the page and written a new chapter in our long and proud history 鈥� the first peaceful democratic transition between one elected president and another."

Despite the collective sigh of relief at electing a leader, and the hope that a unity deal can provide a path forward, Shahmahmood Miakhel, country director for Afghanistan at the US Institute of Peace and a former deputy minister of interior for Afghanistan, warns that the powersharing deal is little more than a 鈥渜uick fix.鈥�

Mr. Miakhel writes in Foreign Policy that the deal could exacerbate deep-seated challenges, including combating the Taliban and building trust in governing institutions.