The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has asked the Independent Election Commission (IEC) and the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC), together with civil society, candidates and all other stakeholders to double their efforts for transparent and credible elections.
“An emphatic message from delegates at last week’s UN Security Council session on Afghanistan was that the international community fully supports presidential elections taking place on 28 September,” said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan.
Issuing a press release, UNAMA highlights the credibility of any election is the collective responsibility of all stakeholders, not solely that of the IEC and IECC. Candidates, civil society organizations, media, and ulema have important roles to make a transparent elections happen.
“Credible elections lie at the heart of any democracy, and the right to vote is in many ways a key symbol of the democratic progress made in Afghanistan over the last 18 years,” said Yamamoto. “Voting is not just a matter of civic responsibility, it is a way of protecting the achievements made in Afghanistan and showing support for peaceful political processes.”
UNAMA praises the work performed by the Afghan security forces in supporting the elections, protecting the distribution of election materials and ensuring the security of the polling stations on and before election day so that all Afghans, including women, can participate.
The statement came as the 2019 Afghan presidential election is scheduled to take place on 28 September.
