The United States wants Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to postpone his second-term inauguration over concerns it could inflame an election with his political rival and jeopardize US-led peacemaking efforts, Reuters reported on Monday.
Ghani has planned to take the oath of office on Thursday after being declared winner of the disputed election. His opponent, Abdullah Abdullah, also proclaimed himself the winner and is planning a parallel inauguration.
The United States and the Taliban are expected to ink peace deal on coming Saturday after the ongoing week-long reduction in violence. The deal would be followed by inter-Afghan talks.
However, the Ghani-Abdullah feud threatens to further complicate the naming of a delegation to negotiate with the Taliban.
Reuters, citing an unidentified source, said that because of those concerns US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad, who has been in Kabul since last week, wants Ghani to delay his planned inauguration.
A former senior Afghan official said Khalilzad was pressing Ghani to postpone the ceremony and trying to persuade Abdullah to do the same to preserve the peace process, Reuters reported.
