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Kabul, Afghanistan • After months of political tensions, Afghanistan's new president, Ashraf Ghani, took the oath of office Monday to lead a U.S.-brokered coalition government that marked the first democratic transfer of power in the nation's history.

The ceremony also marked the beginning of a power-sharing pact between Ghani and his chief rival, who have been at odds over a dispute election that threatened to split Afghanistan's ethnic groups and trigger violence.

Both Ghani and his opponent Abdullah Abdullah claimed victory in the vote held to succeed President Hamid Karzai, who came to power after the U.S.-led invasion in 2001 brought down Taliban rule. Ghani and Abdullah relented only after the United States stepped in to carve out a compromise deal.

After he took the presidential oath Monday, Ghani kept his pledge and swore in Abdullah as his chief executive.

"I am your leader, but I am not better than you. If I make mistakes, hold me accountable," Ghani told hundreds of dignitaries gathered to witness the inauguration.

The new unity government is inheriting an Afghanistan rife with immense challenges. Most foreign troops are scheduled to withdraw by year's end and the Taliban Islamist movement is mounting a resurgence in many areas of the country.

To underscore the security woes, a suicide bomber detonated himself near an Afghan security checkpoint near Kabul airport Monday morning, just as the ceremony began. Four security forces were killed and three civilians were wounded, said Seddiq Seddiqe, an Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman.

In eastern Afghanistan, a car bomb exploded near the compound of a local official in a district of Paktia province. The attack triggered a gunbattle between Afghan army and police units and the militants, said Maj. Gen. Sharif Yaftali, an Afghan army commander in the area. Three Afghan policemen were killed, as were all four of the assailants, he added.

In his address, Ghani called upon the Taliban and another armed faction, Hezb-e-Islami, to enter "a political negotiation" with the new government, saying that "we are tired of fighting and our message is peace, but this does not mean we are weak."

A Taliban spokesman Monday rejected such an overture, saying that they do not recognize Ghani as the country's new president.

"The president inauguration has no meaning to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan," said Zabiullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman in a phone interview, using the Taliban's name for the country. "It is the project of the United States."

Mujahid also claimed Taliban responsibility for the suicide attack near the airport, declaring that the target was Afghan and foreign soldiers.

Monday's inauguration also marked the end of Karzai's presidency - in place since the fall of Taliban rule that provided a safe haven for Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida.

In his final speech as president, Karzai told the audience that he would support Ghani and Abdullah and that he would be "at their service."

"Our journey in the past 13 years has been full of ups and downs. I am proud to handover responsibilities to the president-elect in a peaceful process," Karzai said. "Afghanistan is off on a good journey. And I will continue to be part of this journey. Long live Afghanistan. Long live our proud nation."

Amid heavy security, the ceremony took place at the presidential palace compound in the center of the capital. It was attended by dignitaries from 34 nations, as well as the United Nations and the European Union. Senior officials from neighboring Pakistan and Iran - both have tense relationships with Afghanistan - also attended.

John Podesta, a senior adviser to President Barack Obama, led the U.S. delegation, which included U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, James Cunningham, and other senior U.S. officials.

On the streets of Kabul, Afghans sat in cafes and restaurants watching the inauguration which was televised nationally. Many expressed optimism that the new government could solve the myriad of challenges facing the country.

"Dr. Ghani has a clean past and he is well educated," said Ahmad Mubashir, 33, a shopkeeper. "The roots of all problems that Afghans face is economic hardship, and I think he is the guy who has the ability to solve this problem. Once he solves the economic problems, definitely security will be improved. "

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Washington Post correspondent Sharif Hassan contributed to this report from Kabul.

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