Kabul: Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani said that a mechanism for the release of Taliban prisoners has been reached and a presidential decree will be issued in this regard on Tuesday.

Ghani’s remarks came after he took an oath as president for another five-year term while, at a distance of a few metres, his electoral rival Abdullah Abdullah also held a parallel oath-taking ceremony.

Ghani said in his speech that the government he was forming would not only include members of his political camp though he would continue with the previous cabinet for two weeks. “Then we will form an inclusive government after consultation,” he said.

On March 2, Ghani had said he would not commit to a clause in the US-Taliban deal that called for a massive prisoner exchange, something the militants have been demanding for years.