TOP UN ENVOY URGES CALM AS AFGHANISTAN AWAITS ELECTION RESULTS

The top United Nations envoy for Afghanistan today urged patience and calm as the country's Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) responds to the complaints that have been received following last week's historic presidential and provincial council polls.

"I say to candidates, campaigners, voters, and media, that you must respect this process. This is a critical part of it. Respect also means demonstrating patience," Kai Eide said during a visit to the Commission's headquarters in Kabul.

Mr. Eide, the Secretary-General's Special Representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), met with some of the commissioners and saw how the ECC deals with the complaints filed by candidates and voters.

The Commission said it has so far received 790 complaints from across the country following the 20 August polls, including 54 classified as "Priority-A," which, if proved, could have an impact on the result.

Mr. Eide said he was concerned about every irregularity, but emphasized that the ECC would do all it can to address and correct them.

Forty-one presidential candidates, including two women, as well as over 3,000 candidates competing for provincial council seats, took part in last week's polls, the first to be organized by the Afghan Independent Election Commission (IEC).

The elections were hailed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the UN Security Council, both of whom congratulated the Afghan people for exercising their right to vote.
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ELECTION DAY GOING WELL IN AFGHANISTAN, SAYS TOP UN ENVOY

The top United Nations envoy to Afghanistan said he was pleased with the way the country's elections were taking place and there had been less violence than he had feared, during a visit to a local polling station in the capital, Kabul, midway through Election Day.

"I am pleased to see that the elections have been going quite well," Kai Eide, the Secretary-General's Special Representative, told reporters.

"There are scattered incidents here and there, but as you see, in general it seems to be working well, and I am pleased about that."

There had been several attacks in the days leading up to the presidential and provincial council elections, including Tuesday's blast in Kabul which claimed the lives of two UN staffers and at least five others.

But Mr. Eide, who also heads the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), said that there has not been as much violence today as had been expected.

"There have been some attacks, but I must say, all in all, it is at a lower level than I had feared," he stated. "Also, the kind of spectacular attacks that we were warned about have not happened."

Some 17 million voters have been registered to take part in today's polls, the first to be organized by the Afghan Independent Election Commission (IEC).

Voters will choose from 41 presidential candidates, including two women, and more than 3,000 candidates who are competing for provincial council seats.

Mr. Eide noted that the elections are, first and foremost, important for the Afghan people but that they are also crucial for the country's international partners.

"They also demonstrate that the investments that we made over all these years are important and that this commitment must be long term, but based much more on Afghan leadership and ownership of the whole process."

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TOP UN ENVOY TO AFGHANISTAN WELCOMES AUGUST ELECTION DATE

TOP UN ENVOY TO AFGHANISTAN WELCOMES AUGUST ELECTION DATE
New York, Mar 4 2009 10:00AM

The top United Nations envoy to Afghanistan today welcomed the decision by the country's Independent Election Commission (IEC) reaffirming 20 August as the date of the 2009 presidential and provincial council elections, stressing that this will allow time for the necessary preparations for the polls.

"This date will provide the time needed for the IEC with the support of the international community to make practical and logistical preparations, for candidates to campaign, and for Afghan and international forces to provide security," the Secretary-General's Special Representative, Kai Eide, said in a statement issued in Kabul.

The decision by the Commission comes just days after Afghan President Hamid Karzai reportedly called for the elections to be moved up to April.

Mr. Eide, who also heads the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), said the holding of elections is of paramount importance for consolidating democracy in the country. "Therefore, I emphasize the need for broad consensus so that the election process can move forward in a way that ensures the political stability of the country and the legitimacy of its institutions."

The Special Representative also stressed the need for the elections to be transparent and credible, noting the shared responsibility of Afghan authorities and the international community to this end.

Pledging that the UN will do its utmost to contribute to this effort, Mr. Eide said he will continue to meet Afghan political leaders in the coming days "with a view to achieving national consensus for these elections to take place in a credible and organized way."
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