Welcoming Inauguration of Afghan Parliament, Secretary-General Supports

 

President’s Unity Call, Commends Participants in Electoral Process

 

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General welcomes the inauguration earlier today of the Wolesi Jirga, the Lower House of the Afghan Parliament, presided over by President Hamid Karzai.

The inauguration marks the end of the electoral process and the beginning of a period in which Afghan governing institutions must work together to solve the pressing problems that the country faces, putting aside differences as any robust and vibrant democracy demands.

The Secretary-General acknowledges the statesmanship of President Karzai and supports his call for unity in the interests of all Afghans as the new Parliament assumes its functions.  He further commends Afghan political leaders and all who participated in the electoral process — voters, the electoral institutions and both winning and losing candidates — for their contribution to Afghanistan’s democratic development.

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For information media • not an official record