Brussels, 09/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - The EU notes “the publication of the preliminary results of the second round of the presidential election in Afghanistan and the fact that these results are subject to further audits” with reference to the 14 June presidential elections in Afghanistan. On 8 July, the EU called for a thorough audit of the votes.
“The EU calls on the Independent Election Commission to cooperate fully with the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission and the United Nations. The electoral institutions must ensure that audits of the votes agreed by the two candidates are carried out thoroughly and transparently to ensure that the serious allegations of fraud are properly investigated and to verify that the final results reflect the will of the Afghan people”, stated a representative for High Representative Catherine Ashton in a press release.
“It is vital that both candidates continue to direct any complaints through the appropriate mechanisms. We urge both Dr. Abdullah and Dr. Ghani and their supporters to refrain from actions and statements that risk inflaming tensions”, added the spokesman.
On 7 July, the Independent Electoral Commission announced that Ghani had won with 56.4% of the votes, compared with 43.5% for Abdullah. Abdullah was 13% in the lead in the first round (45% compared with Ghani's 31.6%) and says the results have been falsified. He claimed victory for himself on 8 July. (CG)