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Kerry presses for Afghanistan unity government

FILE - This July 12, 2014 file photo shows. from left, Secretary of State John Kerry, Afghanistan's presidential candidate Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, and Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah during a joint news conference in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Obama administration on Thursday stepped up efforts to press Afghanistan’s two feuding presidential candidates to end their dispute over June elections, accept the results of an ongoing audit of all ballots and form a national unity government by early September. On an unannounced visit to Kabul, Kerry made personal appeals to both candidates _ former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah and former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai _ to understand the urgency of finding a resolution before the upcoming NATO summit in Wales on September 4, according to officials traveling with Kerry. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul, File) FILE - This July 12, 2014 file photo shows. from left, Secretary of State John Kerry, Afghanistan's presidential candidate Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, and Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah during a joint news conference in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Obama administration on Thursday stepped up efforts to press Afghanistan’s two feuding presidential candidates to end their dispute over June elections, accept the results of an ongoing audit of all ballots and form a national unity government by early September. On an unannounced visit to Kabul, Kerry made personal appeals to both candidates _ former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah and former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai _ to understand the urgency of finding a resolution before the upcoming NATO summit in Wales on September 4, according to officials traveling with Kerry. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul, File)

By Associated Press August 7, 2014 1 min read

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is opening a second day of talks in Afghanistan aimed at preventing the fragile country’s from collapsing into political chaos after disputed elections.

Kerry was to meet early Friday with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and later with the two men locked in a bitter dispute over who will succeed him. Kerry saw the feuding candidates separately on Thursday and U.S. officials said he hopes to bring them together for three-way talks on Friday.

Kerry is on a previously unannounced visit to Kabul to urge the candidates to accept the results of an ongoing audit of all ballots from the June election and form a national unity government by early September when NATO leaders will meet in Wales to consider their options in Afghanistan.