Washington, March 11 (TIWN) The United States has rejected the formation of an Afghan government led by opposition leader Abdullah Abdullah parallel to that of President Ashraf Ghani.

Both Ghani and Abdullah held parallel swearing-in ceremonies in Kabul on Monday throwing the country into a major political crisis amid the ongoing peace process, Efe news reported.  "We strongly oppose any action to establish a parallel government, and any use of force to resolve political differences," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.  US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad was present at Ghani''s oath-taking ceremony, while Abdullah''s swearing-in took place in the presence of local leaders. 

This political crisis has been brewing since September, when the holding of the elections was marked by low participation amid threats from the Taliban and subsequent allegations of massive fraud by Ghani''s rivals.  Despite rejecting the parallel swearings-in, Pompeo appreciated "Dr. Abdullah''s statement March 9 underscoring similar commitments to peace and inclusivity" in line with Ghani''s statement that "discussions and negotiations will continue for the next two weeks to come to an agreement on an inclusive government which unifies the country and prioritizes peace."