New York: UN Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the conduct of presidential elections in Afghanistan on 28 September and commended all Afghans “who exercised their democratic voice and upheld their right to vote, braving security concerns”.

UNAMA reiterates the importance that all parties act responsibly in the period ahead, respecting that only @AfghanistanIEC is authorized to issue official election turn-out figures. UNAMA has not & won’t speculate on turn-out numbers. UNAMA awaits IEC announcement. #Afghanistan

 

“[The Secretary-General] congratulates them on their commitment to selecting their leaders through the ballot box,” according to a statement issue by a UN spokesperson on Sunday.

 

The UN chief encouraged all stakeholders to enable the electoral institutions to exercise their responsibilities in full, “including by addressing any complaints through the appropriate channels and procedures.”

 

In a similar vein, as the polls closed on Saturday, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) tweeted: “Patience and level-headedness now required for Afghanistan electoral bodies necessary time to conduct their work counting votes, reviewing complaints and announcing results. Parties must meet their obligations, respecting codes of conduct and helping ensure stability in period ahead.

 

“UNAMA commends all voters who cast their ballots … and all the Afghan actors who helped make it possible. The mission condemns those who resorted to intimidation and violence to try and derail democracy,” the mission said earlier on Twitter.

 

Photo credit and caption: UNAMA/Fardin Waezi Men vote in the presidential election at a polling station at Zarghoona Girls High School in Kabul.