Ashraf Ghani, rival Abdullah Abdullah both take oath as Afghan presidents at same time

• Abdullah took oath as president minutes after Ghani was sworn into office for a second term.

Incumbent Afghan president Ashraf Ghani and his main rival Abdullah Abdullah both took oath in separate ceremonies on Monday.

Ghani held his inauguration ceremony at the Presidential Palace. US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, US and NATO forces commander General Scott Miller, attended Ghani's ceremony, Afghan local news channel TOLONews reported.

Here is the footage.

Gunshots fired during Ashraf Ghani's oath taknig ceremony. People first ran away in panic but then stayed and cheered for Ghani. #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/qGcowimJNW

— Brashna Kasi (@Brashnaa) March 9, 2020

Abdullah Abdullah rejected the presidential election results announced last month, saying Ghani's win was invalid because of vote-rigging in a repeat of the 2014 elections marred by fraud.

He took oath as president minutes after Ghani was sworn into office for a second term. He held his at the Sapedar Palace.

Last September, Ghani was declared as the winner of the election. As per the electoral commission, Ashraf Ghani narrowly won September's vote.

The political showdown comes days after Abdullah escaped unharmed from an attack which saw at least 32 people killed.

Earlier, Abdullah agreed to suspend his swearing-ceremony on the condition that Ghani follow suit. But Ghani, who was declared the winner of September's election, decided to go ahead with his inauguration.