Secretary-General congratulates Hamid Karzai on Election to Afghan Presidency

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General welcomes the announcement by the Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB) certifying the results of the 9 October presidential election in Afghanistan.  The Secretary-General has noted that the JEMB, after considering the results of the counting, the report of the impartial panel of international electoral experts, and the work of their own complaints and investigations mechanism, declared that President Hamid Karzai, having secured 55.4 per cent of the vote, is the first elected President of Afghanistan.

The Secretary-General takes this opportunity to extend to President Karzai his sincere congratulations and wishes him well as he addresses the challenges that still remain in Afghanistan's path to lasting peace, stability and economic recovery.

The Secretary-General wishes to pay tribute to all presidential candidates and their supporters for their important role in the democratic process.  He also applauds the very active participation of party and candidate agents and domestic and international observers, who played an integral role in this first exercise of democratic elections.

The Secretary-General congratulates the people and the Government of Afghanistan, as well as the JEMB, for having conducted a successful and credible election under such difficult circumstances.

The Secretary-General is gratified that the United Nations, especially the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), played a significant role in the conduct of a peaceful and credible electoral process.  He wishes to assure the new Government that it can rely on the assistance of the United Nations to provide continuing support as the political process progresses to consolidate peaceful and secure conditions in Afghanistan.

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