UN chief urges candidates to conclude agreement on government of national unity

NEW YORK - The Secretary-General urges Afghanistan’s two Presidential candidates, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah and Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, to conclude an agreement on a government of national unity in accordance with the commitments they reached on 12 July.
The Secretary-General emphasises that this is a pivotal moment for Afghanistan, and that genuine partnership will be required in tackling Afghanistan's many challenges. Both parties share a real responsibility to guide Afghanistan to a peaceful and more prosperous future. Given the scale of the challenges, this can only be done jointly.

The Secretary-General notes that in the 12 July agreement, reached with the support of US Secretary of State John Kerry, and their signed communique of 8 August, the two candidates agreed to accept the result of a comprehensive nationwide audit of the presidential election run-off results and form a government of national unity.

With the main audit completed on 4 September and the announcement of updated results anticipated shortly, the Secretary-General expects that the candidates will now abide by their commitments to enable Afghanistan's first ever peaceful transfer of power.