Afghanistan will have a grand presidential inauguration on Monday for former U.S.-based academic Ashraf Ghani, as the 13-year war involving the NATO troops comes to an end.

After a three month impasse because of conflicting election results, Ghani will succeed president Hamid Karzai.

The standstill caused a decline in the country's economy and worsened the insurgency.

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The Monday inauguration will mark Afghanistan's first transfer of power democratically achieved. Global donors see this as a major legacy since the Taliban regime fell in 2001.

Ghani, and opponent Abdullah Abdullah, had an election dispute when both candidates claimed they have won the election in June 14, a conflict which threw the nation into nationwide instability.

But after the intervention of the United Nations and United States, both leaders decided to form a united government and after which Ghani was declared president with almost eight million votes.

With Ghani as president, Afghanistan will also have Abdullah as its chief executive. Abdullah will also be sworn in on Monday.

He will have a role similar to a prime minister in a government that is nowhere near similar to the one Karzai used to head.

The schedule of the inauguration has been kept private for security reasons. Also, the list of attendees, which has only been given a week's notice, has not been disclosed.

Counselor to U.S. President Barack Obama, John Podesta, together with 10 U.S. delegates, will attend the inauguration. Pakistan president Mamnoon Hussain and Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari will also be attending.

Meanwhile, during Karzai's farewell speech on Sunday, the president said his administration has put in a significant amount of effort to attain and maintain peace in the country.

"Unfortunately, our hopes did not fully materialize, but peace will surely come," he said.

In addition, Karzai said after Ghani's inauguration, his previous responsibilities will be transferred to the new president and he will begin his new life as Afghanistan's citizen.

Karzai also vowed to support Ghani, adding that "the government and the constitution and will be at their service."

TagsWar Conflict, politics, government, Pashtun People