Despite charges of rampant electoral fraud, former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani was today declared President-elect of Afghanistan.

The announcement comes after an American-brokered power-sharing deal between Ghani and his runner-up Abdullah Abdullah, who demanded the actually tally of votes remain secret.

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While the United States heralded the Afghan election as one of the Middle Eastern country's most peaceful in decades, Abdullah maintains the process was rife with fraud. On Saturday, he refused to sign any deal until the voting results were kept confidential. 

Many observers within and outside strife-torn Afghanistan condemn the secrecy. The results were simply announced in a brief press conference, with no further facts given. 

"Many people risked their lives to vote, some lost their lives, and this is a very bad precedent; to persuade people to come back and vote again will be very hard," said Nader Nadery, chairman of the Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan, to the New York Times. 

Halim Fadai, who was in charge of the observer team for Ghani, also lashed out at the suppression of information. Also speaking to the Times, he said, "The international community gives out democracy slogans while putting nails in the coffin of democracy of Afghanistan."

The power-sharing deal will see Ghani ascend the presidency as current president Hamid Karzai steps down. Abdullah is expected to be named to a new post with the government called "chief executive officer." The post has substantial powers over the cabinet and a new body, called a "council of ministers."

The practical extent of the new government's authority, however, is still unclear. While major cities tend to be under the control extending from Kabul, much of the countryside remains in the hands of local warlords acting independently of the capital and the Taliban, which does not recognize the American-backed regime.

TagsAshraf Ghani, Abdullah Abdullah, Kabul, Afghanistan, Afghanistan election