All parties in Afghanistan must seize the chance for a new start

Afghans finally have a president after months of wrangling over run-off elections in June. Under a power-sharing deal brokered by the United States, former finance minister and World Bank official Ashraf Ghani will take over as leader next week and his rival, ex-foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, will assume a position similar to that of a prime minister. The stage is now set for an important milestone: the first peaceful transfer of power. With an array of challenges, though, bringing stability to the violence-racked nation is as much about overcoming political obstacles as the region and beyond helping with peace and development.

Accusations of massive vote-rigging caused the stalemate, a likely scenario in a country where corruption is rampant. Details of the deal have still to be ironed out and powerbrokers from myriad ethnic and tribal groups remain influential. The circumstances of the election, the undemocratic manner in which the pact came about and the challenges ahead in forming a government of unity make for an uncertain future. Afghans were promised a democratic process and millions braved threats from Taliban militants to cast votes, but what has so far transpired is cause more for scepticism than hope.

Yet for all the confusion and doubts, a significant step forward has been taken. President Hamid Karzai's decade of rule was tainted by graft and officials claim the government is on the verge of insolvency, the result of a crippling budget shortfall. The election stand-off stymied negotiations with foreign donors, critical for paying civil servants, police and soldiers. But the outgoing leader's increasingly antagonistic stance towards the West also meant a refusal to discuss what would happen when US and Nato troops fighting the Taliban pull out at the end of the year. With Ghani and Abdullah both on friendly terms with the US and Europe, talks on keeping aid flowing and for a small international contingent of foreign soldiers to remain can take place.

Decades of war and ethnic conflict have made Afghanistan reliant on the outside world for development. Neighbouring countries, China in particular, have a vital role to play in building infrastructure, providing investment and contributing direct foreign aid. The new government needs partners it can count on and trust to ensure growth and help provide peace and stability. The new leaders have to abide by their agreement to give their country a fresh beginning.