New president to take office on 2 Sept: Karzai

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Saturday his successor would take office on September 2, despite a slow-moving vote audit designed to eliminate fraudulent ballots cast for the two contenders. ‘The Afghan government is totally ready for the inauguration ceremony of the new president on the date of September 2,’ the presidential palace said in a statement. The date would not change, according to the statement, which was issued following talks between Karzai and the head of the UN mission in Afghanistan Jan Kubis. 

The new president was due to be inaugurated on August 2, in Afghanistan’s first democratic transfer of power.