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Ashraf Ghani gestures as he addresses a news conference in Kabul on July 5.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai is the new President of Afghanistan, and his rival, Abdullah Abdullah, is CEO, Afghanistan Independent Elections Commission chairman Ahmad Yousuf Nooristani announced in a news conference in Kabul on Sunday.

Nooristani didn't disclose the percentage of their votes from the June runoff election. He also didn't take any questions from journalists.

Ghani and Abdullah signed a power-sharing agreement earlier Sunday after months of infighting over allegations of voting fraud and manipulation.

The U.S. State Department congratulated both candidates, as well as the people of Afghanistan, "who courageously went to the polls to vote on April 5 and again on June 14, defying Taliban threats to exercise their right to vote and to take their part in advancing democracy in Afghanistan," according to a statement.

The statement also recognized incumbent President Hamid Karzai for 13 years of "strong leadership."

The lengthy dispute between Ghani and Abdullah had put off the selection of a successor to Karzai and raised fears of increased instability in the fragile, war-torn country.

But the two rivals embraced after signing a deal for a national unity government in a televised ceremony in the capital, Kabul, on Sunday.

Under the agreement, Ghani will create by decree the position of chief executive officer for the runner-up. The CEO role will have prime ministerial functions until the constitution can be amended to create a permanent position of prime minister.

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Afghanistan has a new president

TIME World Afghanistan Afghanistan Finally Has a New President Afghan presidential candidate Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai signs a power-sharing agreement with unseen rival Abdullah Abdullah at the Presidential Palace in Kabul on Sept. 21, 2014. Wakil KohsarAFP/Getty Images Ghani Ahmadzai will serve as president of Afghanistan after signing a power-sharing deal with Abdullah Abdullah, who will become the country's chief executive

KABUL, Afghanistan Afghanistans two presidential candidates signed a power-sharing deal on Sunday that makes one president and the other chief executive, ending months of political wrangling following a disputed runoff that threatened to plunge the country into turmoil and complicate the withdrawal of foreign troops.

Ending an election season that began with first-round ballots cast in April, the election commission named Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai as the winner and next president. But the commission pointedly did not release final vote totals amid suggestions that doing so could inflame tensions.

Ghani Ahmadzai and new Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah signed the national unity government deal as President Hamid Karzai in power since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion ousted the Taliban looked on. It took weeks of negotiations to form a power-sharing arrangement after accusations of fraud in the June runoff vote.

The candidates signed the deal at the presidential palace, then exchanged a hug and a handshake.

I am very happy today that both of my brothers, Dr. Ashraf Ghani and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, in an Afghan agreement for the benefit of this country, for the progress and development of this country, that they agreed on the structure affirming the new government of Afghanistan, Karzai said after the signing.

The deal is a victory for U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who first got the candidates to agree in principle to share power during a July visit to Afghanistan. Kerry returned to Kabul in August and has spent hours with the candidates, including in repeated phone calls, in an effort to seal the deal.

A White House statement lauded the two leaders, saying the agreement helps bring closure to Afghanistans political crisis.

This agreement marks an important opportunity for unity and increased stability in Afghanistan. We continue to call on all Afghans including political, religious, and civil society leaders to support this agreement and to come together in calling for cooperation and calm, the White House statement said.

Jan Kubis, the top U.N. official in Afghanistan, said the uncertainty of the past months took a heavy toll on Afghanistans security, economy and governance. NATO said in a statement that it hoped both leaders could move forward in the spirit of genuine political partnership.

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Afghanistan Finally Has a New President

Published September 21, 2014

July 12, 2014: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, and Afghanistan's presidential candidates Ashraf Ghani, center, and Abdulah Abdullah hold their arms in the air together after announcing a deal for the auditing of all Afghan election votes at the United Nations Compound in Kabul. (AP Photo/Jim Bourg, Pool)

Afghanistan's election commission named Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai as the winner of the country's presidential election Sunday, hours after Ahmadzai signed a power sharing agreement with opponent Abdullah Abdullah, who will fill the newly created position of government chief executive.

An Ahmadzai supporter -- Halim Fidai, a former governor -- said Sunday that U.N. representative Jan Kubish told the commission not to release detailed vote tallies.

The United Nations had been monitoring an audit and recount of the approximately eight million votes cast.

The decision underscores the fear of potential violence despite Sunday's deal. A senior U.S. official said the vote result is transparent but may be released slowly over fears of violence. The official insisted on anonymity because he was not authorized to be identified publicly.

The power-sharing deal cleared the way for final approval of a bilateral security agreement that would keep some U.S. troops in the country beyond this year.

Under the terms of the deal, former Finance Minister and World Bank official Ahmadzai will replace Hamid Karzai as Afghanistan's president. The agreement also creates the post of chief executive, which will be held by Abdullah.

"I am very happy today that both of my brothers, Dr. Ashraf Ghani and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, in an Afghan agreement for the benefit of this country, for the progress and development of this country, that they agreed on the structure affirming the new government of Afghanistan," Karzai said after the signing ceremony, which was broadcast on national television in Afghanistan and capped off by a hug and handshake between the two rivals.

A statement from the White House expressed its support of the agreement, saying in part, "This agreement marks an important opportunity for unity and increased stability in Afghanistan. We continue to call on all Afghans - including political, religious, and civil society leaders -- to support this agreement and to come together in calling for cooperation and calm."

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Afghanistan election commission names Ahmadzai winner hours after rivals sign power-sharing deal

Ashraf Ghani gestures as he addresses a news conference in Kabul on July 5.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai is the new President of Afghanistan, and his rival, Abdullah Abdullah, is CEO, Afghanistan Independent Elections Commission chairman Ahmad Yousuf Nooristani announced in a news conference in Kabul on Sunday.

Nooristani didn't disclose the percentage of their votes from the June runoff election. He also didn't take any questions from journalists.

Ghani and Abdullah signed a power-sharing agreement earlier Sunday after months of infighting over allegations of voting fraud and manipulation.

The U.S. State Department congratulated both candidates, as well as the people of Afghanistan, "who courageously went to the polls to vote on April 5 and again on June 14, defying Taliban threats to exercise their right to vote and to take their part in advancing democracy in Afghanistan," according to a statement.

The statement also recognized incumbent President Hamid Karzai for 13 years of "strong leadership."

The lengthy dispute between Ghani and Abdullah had put off the selection of a successor to Karzai and raised fears of increased instability in the fragile, war-torn country.

But the two rivals embraced after signing a deal for a national unity government in a televised ceremony in the capital, Kabul, on Sunday.

Under the agreement, Ghani will create by decree the position of chief executive officer for the runner-up. The CEO role will have prime ministerial functions until the constitution can be amended to create a permanent position of prime minister.

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Afghanistan: Ghani named President

Jason Straziuso and Rahim Faiez, The Associated Press Published Sunday, September 21, 2014 7:32AM EDT Last Updated Sunday, September 21, 2014 5:16PM EDT

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Ending months of vote-related tension, Afghanistan's election commission named a new president Sunday only hours after the leading candidates signed a power-sharing deal that names one of them as the country's new chief executive.

The commission named Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai as the winner and next president and noted that his one-time rival, Abdullah Abdullah, will fill the newly created position of chief executive, a post akin to prime minister. But it pointedly did not release final vote totals amid concerns that doing so could inflame tensions.

The deal brings to a close an election season that began in April, when millions of Afghans first went to the polls despite threats from Taliban militants, and ended when the two leading candidates signed a national unity government agreement and embraced in a hug. In between, the Abdullah camp alleged that its cause was cheated by massive vote fraud.

A nation long tired of election bluffs and threats seemed to accept the electoral deal with a shrug. There were no mass celebrations in the streets of Kabul, and Afghan journalists reacted angrily when the election commission declined to release final results, abruptly ending a brief news conference without taking questions.

The United States applauded the deal and the White House said that "respect for the democratic process" is the only viable path forward for Afghanistan. But to many here, the next Afghan government appeared to be more a product of negotiation than vote tallies, especially given the fact a final count wasn't even released.

"I don't think anyone will vote again," said Masie Hajizada, a 26-year-old businessman. "They will have to do a lot of campaigning to get us to vote."

U.S. officials said they believed Ghani Ahmadzai would sign a security agreement soon after taking the oath of office that would allow some 10,000 American forces to remain in Afghanistan next year. After 13 years of war following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, all combat troops are to withdraw by the end of 2014.

Ghani Ahmadzai and Abdullah signed the national unity government deal as President Hamid Karzai -- in power since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion ousted the Taliban -- looked on. It took weeks of negotiations to form a power-sharing arrangement after accusations of fraud in the June runoff vote.

"I am very happy today that both of my brothers, Dr. Ashraf Ghani and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, in an Afghan agreement for the benefit of this country, for the progress and development of this country, that they agreed on the structure affirming the new government of Afghanistan," Karzai said after the signing.

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Afghanistan presidential candidates sign power-sharing deal, ending election