KABUL (SW) – The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has welcomed the announcement of the preliminary results for Afghanistan’s presidential election.
In a statement, UNAMA commended the country’s electoral bodies – the Independent Election Commission (IEC) and the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) – for their work leading up to the announcement. “On 28 September 2019, the citizens of Afghanistan braved security threats to cast their votes for a better future; those voters deserve to be commended for carrying out their civic duty,” said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan. “Now, all Afghan authorities and actors must demonstrate their commitment to safeguard and complete the election, and to protect the integrity of the final stage of the process.”
Yamamoto, who is also head of UNAMA, added: “Any decisions taken by the electoral management bodies in the final stage of the process must have clear legal and technical justifications and should be explained to the people of Afghanistan in clear terms.”
The United Nations underscored the importance of an orderly process, conducted with particular care and sensitivity, leading up to the announcement of the final results, and reiterates that the election process is a joint responsibility of all stakeholders, including the electoral management bodies and the candidates, as well as media and civil society.
“All candidates have the chance to raise any concerns they may have through the appropriate mechanism and within the prescribed time, in accordance with the relevant legal frameworks, regulations and procedures,” said Yamamoto. “At the same time, the ECC has an obligation to adjudicate any complaints it receives transparently and thoroughly so the election process may conclude in a credible manner.”
Separately, U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, John R. Bass, has thanked the IEC commissioners and staff for their dedicated, patriotic service. “It’s important for all #Afghans to remember: these results are preliminary. Many steps remain before final election results are certified, to ensure the Afghan people have confidence in the results”, he tweeted.
ENDS
