ENCOURAGED BY PREPARATIONS FOR HISTORIC AFGHAN POLLS, BAN URGES ALL CITIZENS TO VOTE

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From: UNNews <UNNews@un.org>
Date: 3 Apr 2014 12:00:00 -0400
Subject: ENCOURAGED BY PREPARATIONS FOR HISTORIC AFGHAN POLLS, BAN
URGES ALL CITIZENS TO VOTE
To: news11@ny-mail-p-lb-028.ptc.un.org

ENCOURAGED BY PREPARATIONS FOR HISTORIC AFGHAN POLLS, BAN URGES ALL
CITIZENS TO VOTENew York, Apr 3 2014 12:00PMSecretary-General Ban
Ki-moon said today he is encouraged by the technical and security
preparations and broad public engagement for Afghanistan's upcoming
elections and urged all of the country's citizens to take part in the
historic polls which will be held on Saturday.

The presidential and provincial council elections on 5 April will lead
to the first transfer of power from one democratically elected leader
to another in Afghanistan.

"These are extremely important elections for the country," said a
<"http://www.un.org/sg/statements/index.asp?nid=7564">statement issued
by the Secretary-General's spokesperson.

Mr. Ban urged all Afghan men and women to participate in the vote and
to take this opportunity "to have their say on the future direction of
their country."

Denouncing violence by any group, the Secretary-General specifically
condemned statements by the Taliban threatening further attacks on
civilian election workers, candidates, observers, voters and election
sites.

"He reiterates that deliberate attacks against civilians are serious
violations of international humanitarian law and that those
responsible will be held accountable."

Mr. Ban called on Afghan institutions to discharge their
responsibility to deliver "credible, inclusive and transparent
elections." He also urged the candidates and their supporters to show
patience and respect for electoral institutions and processes, while
the ballots are counted and complaints adjudicated, and to abide by
the results of the polls.

The Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan, Ján
Kubiš, <"http://unama.unmissions.org/Default.aspx?tabid=12254&ctl=Details&mid=15756&ItemID=37851&language=en-US">said
today that while the polls will not be perfect, they are another
important step in strengthening the country's representative
institutions and building its democratic tradition.

"Security will be a key challenge," acknowledged Mr. Kubiš. "There are
spoilers and extremists, including the Taliban, who threaten to
disrupt, or even target, what is a civilian process."

He noted that Afghan authorities are taking a proactive approach to
protecting the electoral process and civilians who seek to participate
as voters, election workers, candidates, and national and
international observers. This includes an emphasis on securing women's
right of participation.

Fraud is another major risk for the polls. The UN Assistance Mission
in Afghanistan (UNAMA), which is headed by Mr. Kubiš, has highlighted
the importance of domestic observers, as well as candidate and party
agents in the prevention of fraud. More than 10,000 domestic observers
and 250,000 candidate and party agents have already received
accreditation to monitor the elections.

"Extensive and robust coverage by Afghan observers and campaign agents
at the 6,423 planned polling centres is crucial,"
<"http://unama.unmissions.org/Default.aspx?tabid=12254&ctl=Details&mid=15756&ItemID=37847&language=en-US">said
Mr. Kubiš. "Their presence represents one of the most effective
instruments to detect and deter malpractice and fraud."

While there are several hundred international observers registered to
monitor the elections, which are led and managed by Afghans, the polls
will be observed primarily by domestic groups.

"International observers add an international perspective as well as
expertise. But they cannot match the numbers, coverage and access of
domestic observers, who are the guardians of the electoral process,"
said the envoy.

"More importantly," he continued, "the participation of domestic
observers underscores that these are Afghan-owned elections with
Afghans acting as the final arbiter of the result." Apr 3 2014
12:00PM
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