Thursday, May 15, 2014

US embassy welcomes release of final vote results, calls for credible runoff

The US Ambassador to Afghanistan James B. Cunningham welcomed the announcement of final vote results and scheduling of the runoff election by Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan.
“Today’s announcement is a milestone in Afghanistan’s democratic development. We congratulate Dr. Abdullah Abdullah and Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, and commend all the candidates who put themselves at the service of their country,” Cunningham quoted in a statement by US embassy said.
The ambassador further added, “We also salute the millions of Afghan men and women who went to the polls on April 5. Afghans can be proud of the success of the electoral institutions, civil society, Afghan media, and the Afghan National Security Forces in carrying out the first round of voting.”
He insisted on a credible, inclusive and transparent runoff election and said the United States continues to support the electoral process and is working with Afghans and the international community to further strengthen the electoral institutions and their procedures.
“We reiterate our call to the campaigns neither to commit fraud nor to permit it to be conducted in their names. The presidential campaigns should also continue to respect the independence and mandates of the Independent Election Commission and the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission,” he said.
Cunningham insisted that the future of Afghanistan is for Afghans to determine, and this election is a truly historic opportunity. He said, “A successful election which produces a result supported by the Afghan people, and a President with a mandate to govern and to engage the international community, will provide a solid foundation for Afghanistan’s future. The United States supports the election process and favors no particular candidate or party. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the new President in support of a sovereign, stable, and unified Afghanistan.”

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