The runner-up in Afghanistan's disputed election, Abdullah Abdullah, has congratulated his rival, Ashraf Ghani, on becoming president.
In his first public address since Ghani, a former finance minister, was declared the winner on September 21, Abdullah, who is a former foreign minister, told his supporters he had to accept a deal to avoid violence for the sake of the people.
Ghani is due to be inaugurated on September 29.
Neither Ghani nor Abdullah won enough votes in a first round in April to win outright, so they had to contest a run-off vote in June.
But Abdullah initially refused to accept the result, complaining of fraud and raising fears for political stability.
Under the terms of a U.S.-brokered power-sharing deal with Ghani, Abdullah is expected to take up the role of chief executive and share responsibility for key decisions and appointments with the president.
