Ex-Afghan president regrets how his ‘own chapter ended in tragedy’

Former president Ashraf Ghani, who fled the country last month as the Taliban entered Kabul, apologised on Wednesday to the Afghan people, as "he could not make it end differently".

In a statement on Twitter, Ghani said that he left at the urging of the palace security in order to avoid the risk of bloody street fighting and again denied stealing millions from the treasury.

Ghani expressed regret that his "own chapter" ended in a tragedy similar to his predecessors and that he had to leave Kabul without ensuring stability and prosperity in Afghanistan.

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"Leaving Kabul was the most difficult decision of my life, but I believed that it was the only way to keep the guns silent and save Kabul and her 6 million citizens," the statement read.

It went on to add, "I have devoted 20 years of my life to helping the Afghan people work toward building a democratic, prosperous, and sovereign state - it was never my intent to abandon the people or that vision."

The former president said that now is the moment to take stock of the situation and assess the events that led to the fall of his government. "I will address them in detail in the near future."

In response to allegations made by the spokesperson of the Russian embassy in Kabul, Ashraf Ghani denied that he fled Afghanistan with "four cars and a chopper full of cash".

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Terming the charges as "completely and categorically false", the former Afghan president said that corruption is a plague that has crippled the war-torn country for decades.

"I inherited a monster that could not easily or quickly be defeated," he wrote. "My close aides are ready to submit their finances to public audit, and I would encourage and urge other former senior officials and political figures to do the same."

Ghani said that the 2004 constitution of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan provided the "platforms for dialogue where our differences can be managed through give and take and persuasion, and where the acceptance of a common vision for the future can be defined and embraced".

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"Our Afghan tradition of Jirga and Shura is deeply egalitarian and participatory and can provide a platform for peaceful outcomes for the country moving forward," he added.

"It is with deep and profound regret that my own chapter ended in similar tragedy to that of my predecessors - without ensuring stability and prosperity. I apologise to the Afghan people that I could not make it end differently. My commitment to the Afghan people has never wavered and will guide me for the rest of my life," he concluded.