Afghanistan Times
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KABUL: In a statement on Wednesday, the Election Support Group (ESG) acknowledged the patience displayed by all Afghans awaiting the announcement of presidential election results and notes recent statements by electoral authorities that they will shortly announce important decisions on the appeals adjudication process.
“Safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process is paramount. It has required considerable resources and time. We are committed to supporting the efforts of all stakeholders working to protect the integrity of the elections and the will of Afghan voters.”
The watchdog called on both the Independent Election Commission (IEC) and the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) to ensure that their work is impartial, transparent, open to public scrutiny, and compliant with the relevant laws and regulations in a bid to retain confidence of candidates and voters in the process and the outcome of elections.
“We urge the electoral management bodies to ensure that the election is completed in a timely manner. All stakeholders must respect the electoral process and let the Commissions perform their work independently and free from interference. We remind all candidates and their supporters of their obligations under the law and the Code of Conduct.”
“Above all, stakeholders must refrain from any actions that could lead to instability, or compromise the credibility of the electoral process. Until the final election results are certified and a new government formed, the guiding principles of the National Unity Government (NUG) must continue to prevail. This is essential for the unity of the government and its ability to pursue important goals such as peace and economic growth, and for the cohesion and neutrality of the security forces,” the statement said.
