Saturday, May 18, 2019
Kabul (BNA) The U.S. Embassy in Kabul has welcomed the finalization of the Kabul parliamentary election results and has urged the Afghan authorities to turn their attention to preparing for the September presidential elections.
“We urge the IEC to turn its attention to preparing for the September presidential election, including putting forward a budget request aligned with an appropriate operational plan, hiring and training sufficient staff to complete voter registration and preparations, and coordinating with the security ministries,” the U.S. Embassy in Kabul said in a statement. “Afghan people deserve the opportunity to choose their next leadership through transparent elections in September,” the statement said, adding that “We are prepared to continue supporting this process.” The statement further added “We now ask that Afghan authorities do their part to take the decisions and actions necessary to give the Afghan people their voice at the ballot box this year.” The U.S. Embassy also added that it notes the decision of the IEC on May 10 to focus on voting methods that can realistically be implemented this year for the 2019 presidential election. This comes as reports emerged earlier suggesting that the IEC leadership has decided not to use the biometrics technology in presidential elections.
