Summary The appeal came after Abdullah Abdullah declared himself the winner over rival Ashraf Ghani.
UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged Afghanistan s feuding presidential candidates on Tuesday to reach a deal on a unity government amid growing fears of post-election turmoil.
The appeal came after Abdullah Abdullah declared himself the winner over rival Ashraf Ghani, dimming hopes of a power-sharing deal.
Under a US-brokered agreement,the rival candidates had agreed to a UN-supervised audit of all eight million votes, and to form a national unity government, whoever emerged as winner.
"The secretary general urges Afghanistan s two presidential candidates, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah and Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai to conclude an agreement on a government of national unity in accordance with the commitments they reached on July 12," said a statement from Ban s spokesman.
"This is a pivotal moment for Afghanistan, and (...) genuine partnership will be required in tackling Afghanistan s many challenges."
"Given the scale of the challenges, this can only be done jointly," he added.
Final results from the UN audit, which was completed on September 4, are due to be released shortly, Ban said.
There are fears that street protests could spill into violence, with Abdullah drawing support from Tajiks and other northern Afghan groups, while Ghani is backed by Pashtun tribes of the south and east.
